


Backlash

by Secoura



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post-Season/Series 04 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 05:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4379501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secoura/pseuds/Secoura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having Eric killed was the snowball that started an avalanche, and it won't end until Sean is dead.  Unlike his half-brother, Sean's death won't be instantaneous.  The family is generous, after all, and they've ensured that he will have plenty of time to think about all he has done that has lead to this point.</p><p>The realization that Nick might be developing feelings for him?  That's just the knife twisting a bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anything recognizable from Grimm belongs to the creators of the TV show.

“Good night,” Nick said when Sean came out of his office carrying his briefcase.  
  
“Good night.  Don't stay too late.”  It was already too late, nearly midnight, but a series of missing person cases had everyone working night and day to find who was behind it.  He worried about the men and women under his command when they were working themselves so hard.  “I mean it, all of you go home and get some rest.”  
  
“Yes Mom.”  
  
Sean couldn't help the smile that came to his face at Nick's teasing.  The moments where he could really believe he had friends were few and far between and he welcomed them when they did present themselves.  “I'll see you all tomorrow.”  
  
“Night, Captain,” Hank said from where he was still sitting at his desk.  
  
“You about ready to head out?” Nick asked his partner.  
  
“Yeah, I doubt I'll get anything more accomplished here tonight.  You need a lift?”  
  
“No, I'm good.”  
  
“You shouldn't be staying in that house alone,” Hank told him.    
  
“You offering me your ugly couch?”  
  
“Don't be insulting my couch, man.”  
  
“Wouldn't dream of it, and I appreciate the offer but that house is...it's all I've got left.  I don't expect anyone to understand.”  
  
“Just know that the offer is always there should you need to get away from it for a while.”  
  
“Thanks.  I'm beat so I'll see you tomorrow.”  
  
Nick was surprised when he got to the mostly-empty parking garage and saw Sean's black SUV still there.  “Captain?” he called out as he walked closer.  Seeing Sean sitting in the driver's seat unmoving had the Detective scanning the area for any threats.  There were no shadows or sounds, however, so he continued until he was close enough to see that Sean was gripping the steering wheel as though he was strangling it to death.  “Captain, you all right?” he asked through the rolled up window.  
  
Sean's voice was muffled by the glass but the words were still clear enough.  “Nick, you have to get the precinct and the surrounding buildings evacuated.  There's a bomb in my car and I don't know how long you have before it explodes.  It was activated when I sat on the seat so I can't leave the vehicle without immediately triggering it.  You need to get everyone safely away from here.  That's an order, Detective.  Get out of here and get the area cleared of all personnel.”  
  
“I can't just leave you.”  
  
“You can and you will.  This is payback for all the family members who have died after visiting Portland.  You are not going to let them kill you too.  Now go.”  
  
Nick took off as fast as he could, leaving Sean alone with the blinking light on the unit beside him.  He'd been stupid, so stupid for getting in without really paying attention but he was exhausted after not sleeping more than four hours over the last four days.  No doubt whoever his family had sent to do this had been watching, waiting for the perfect moment when Sean wasn't at 100%.  
  
If only he had seen that there was something foreign on the passenger seat before he sat down and heard the mechanical click.  
  
_Hello, Sean,_ the digitally distorted voice said. _We do hope that you are comfortable in your seat as you are unlikely to be leaving it.  There is a bomb attached to the undercarriage of your vehicle.  The timer has begun counting down until the bomb explodes.  Sensors in your seat have already recorded your weight distribution, so any attempt to move or to leave will immediately detonate the bomb.  If you look at the steering wheel, you will see that there are two sensor pads.  If you grip the wheel where the pads are, the timer will slow down.  The tighter your grip, the slower the timer will go.  Relax your grip and the timer will speed up.  It's in your hands, literally, whether or not there is time for everyone to evacuate the building.  You, unfortunately, have no way of saving yourself.  You are going to die just like your brother Eric, and the Grimm will be ours, along with the keys and Diana.  You were given the chance to join us.  Now you can spend the last day of your life thinking about all of things you did that led to this and how very much the people that you care about are going to suffer.  Goodbye Sean._  
  
He was relieved when Nick did as he asked but at the same time he wanted to yell for the Grimm to come back.  Sean didn't want to be here alone, but he didn't want anyone else to die with him either.  He just hoped that he could grip the steering wheel long enough for everyone else to get away safely.

 

* * *

  
  
Nick literally ran into Hank as he got off the elevator.    
  
“Woah, why are you coming back?” Hank asked when Nick backed away a bit.  
  
“The Captain's car has been rigged with a bomb.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I was just in the garage, he said there's a bomb rigged to his car and it's on a timer.  If he gets out of the car it will blow.”  
  
“Okay, I'll call the bomb squad, you get the building evacuated.”  
  
“Franko, hey, I need you to get the building evacuated.  There's a bomb in the parking garage.”  
  
“Please tell me you're kidding.”  
  
“I'm not.  This is the real thing.  Hey,” Nick yelled, getting the attention of everyone left in the area.  “I need you all to evacuate the building.”  
  
As Nick was running back to the elevator, Hank was hanging up the phone.  “Bomb squad and fire/rescue are on the way.  Where the hell are you going?”  
  
“Back to the Captain.  I've lost enough people.  I'm not just leaving him.”  
  
“I'll get him,” Franko said, but Hank stopped the other man.  
  
“Let him go.  Trying to stop him will only waste time that we need evacuating the building.  Once everyone is out, I'll go to the garage and get Nick.”

 

* * *

  
Sitting still, trying not to move, only made Sean more aware of just how exhausted he was.  He wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep but then his grip on the steering wheel would lessen and the timer would speed up.  Instead he closed his eyes and concentrated on not moving.  His back was aching when he'd gotten in the vehicle and trying to stay still was not helping any.  Taking a deep breath, he tried to will his body to relax.  It wasn't working.  The mild, barely noticeable headache he'd had when leaving the office was getting worse and he regretted not taking something for it before.  
  
Footsteps drew him out of his own misery.  “Nick, what the hell are you doing here?”  He was angry at the detective for coming back and putting himself in danger.  
  
“The bomb squad is on the way and they'll figure out how to disarm it.  Just--”  
  
“It's too dangerous.  Please, get out of here.  Let the bomb squad deal with this.”  Seeing the look on Nick's face, he added, “I don't want to die today any more than you do.  Now please go.”  
  
“No.  I can't.  I won't leave you here alone.”  
  
“You've chosen a hell of a day to profess your undying love,” Sean joked.  Judging by the look on Nick's face, it was the wrong thing to say.  
  
“You...think that I...” Nick stuttered, not sure how to get the words out.  
  
“I had hoped.”    
  
“For what?”  
  
Footsteps saved Sean from having to answer that question as two men from the bomb squad walked up.  “Detective Burkhardt, you have to leave the area for your own safety and for ours,” one of them said.  
  
“Come on Nick, let's go.”  He heard Hank's voice and saw his partner standing several yards away.  “They can't do this if you're standing over their shoulder.”  
  
“You need to go Detective, before you get handcuffed and dragged out,” Sean said.  “Go.  Now.”  
  
Reluctantly Nick went with Hank out of the parking garage, wishing that he knew what his Captain's answer would have been...what it was that the other man hoped for.


	2. Chapter 2

The bomb squad was still trying to find the explosives under the car with the help of mirrors when the device on the passenger seat beeped and played another digitally distorted message.  
  
_The Fuchsbau will be next.  She and the Blutbad can watch each other suffer at our hands.  You know how good we are at the art of torture.  Eventually they'll offer us whatever information they might have to try and spare one another further pain.  Regrettably, they have nothing useful to offer.  The only usefulness left for them is as toys with which to train the next generation of royals about our interrogation techniques._  
  
_Then we'll move on to Martin Meisner, Adalind Schade, Hank Griffin, Theresa Rubel, your mother Elizabeth and last of all, your precious Grimm.  Nicholas Burkardt will be a pet fit for the House of Kronenberg.  If only you could be there to hear the song of his screams.  It will take a lot of painful training to get him ready, of course, but it will be done, and your daughter shall be the instrument that will make him scream so sweetly._  
  
_It really is a shame that you won't get to witness it._  
  
The device clicked and was silent, leaving Sean to grip the steering wheel tighter in his anger.  He was now more determined that he wasn't going to sacrifice himself; he was going to get out of this and protect the people that he cared about.  His family had already caused them all enough pain.  
  
“We can't find anything under the car,” someone told him through the window.  “Can you see any wires coming out of the device on the seat?”  
  
Sean had been looking at it, trying to determine how it was connected to his seat, to the steering wheel, and to the bomb.  “No.  I can't see anything connecting it to the vehicle,” he told the man...Sgt. Matthew Tinney according to his name tag.    
  
“Just sit tight.  We've got someone coming up to get the doors open so can get a better look at that device.  
  
He just nodded and leaned his head back against the headrest.  His hands were starting to hurt from gripping the steering wheel so tight.  His headache felt more like someone was shoving an ice pick through his skull, and his back was screaming at him to get out of the car and stretch.  _Sit tight indeed_ , he thought as he shifted slightly to try and relieve some of the pain.  
  
Once the doors were open on both sides of the vehicle a paramedic crouched beside Sean to check him over while the bomb technicians tried to figure out the device on the seat.    
  
“Talk to me, Captain Renard.  How are you feeling?” she asked.  
  
“Please, just Sean.”  
  
“Ok.  I'm Sara.  How are you feeling?”  
  
“I'm fine.”  She was pressing two fingers to his carotid artery so he didn't say anything more as she checked his pulse.  
  
“Your heartbeat is a little rapid but that's understandable under the circumstances.  When's the last time you ate or had fluids?”  
  
“I had half a bottle of water around 11 o'clock.  Food...I grabbed a sandwich around 6.”  
  
“Ok.  Now do you want to tell me where it hurts?”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
“The way that you keep shifting in the seat, either you have to pee or your back hurts, and you don't have the look on your face of a man who really has to pee.”  
  
He sighed loudly and closed his eyes.  “Are you always this charming?”  
  
“Only when I think the tension could use some cutting.”  When he finally looked at her again she smiled.  “Was your back hurting before you got in the car?”  
  
“Yes.  It had been hurting for a few hours but I thought once I could stretch out in bed it would get better.”  
  
Sara ran her hand against his side until she found where the muscles were so tight she could slip her hand easily between his back and the car seat.  “Is this where the pain is?”  
  
“Yes, that's about the area.”  
  
When she pressed her fingers against his spine he relaxed.  “Does that help or make the pain worse?”  
  
“That helps.”  
  
“Too many hours sitting at a desk, hunched over paperwork.”  
  
“Speaking from experience?”  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
“You shouldn't be here.  It's too dangerous and there's nothing you can do to help me.”  
  
“Now I'm just insulted,” she said, pouting, though she continued to rub his back.  
  
“Why are you here?  No one is injured and there's no point in putting lives at risk unnecessarily.”  
  
“You may be stuck here for a while.  The least I can do is be here to try and make you comfortable.”  
  
“I do appreciate that but--”  
  
“This isn't connected to anything,” Sgt. Tinney said.  “If there is a bomb in the vehicle, something else is controlling it.”  
  
“Wireless controls, maybe?” the other technician offered.    
  
“Or the on-board computer itself is being used as the controller.  It would explain how it knows the weight in the seat.  We need to get someone else down here.”  
  
Sean sighed and closed his eyes again.  His family had a talent for making him suffer.

* * *

The North precinct was running the command center and after relaying what Sean had told him to the officer in charge, Nick had been told to go home and get some rest.  Easier said than done since his car was in the parking garage along with Hank's.  
  
He and Hank walked to a 24 hour diner a few blocks away and talked over coffee and eggs which had grown cold as neither man was really hungry.  
  
“So this is payback?”  
  
“That's what the captain said, that this is payback for all the family members who have died after visiting Portland.”  
  
“So why not have it explode immediately?”  
  
“I don't know.  I think they want him to suffer.”  
  
“Sitting in a car not knowing when it's going to blow up is a whole new type of suffering.  I guess this means there are royals in Portland again.  New Prince maybe?”  Hank picked up his cup of coffee as he spoke, taking a sip and grimacing at the taste before putting it back down.  
  
“I think it was better while it was still hot,” Nick told his partner.  “I doubt Adalind would know who is in town so I guess we're on our own trying to find who did it.”  
  
“Someone who could walk into a police garage with a bomb, break into the captain's vehicle and attach the bomb, all without being noticed.”  
  
“You think a cop did this?”  
  
“I think someone in the precinct was willing to do this for the royal family.  The captain made a lot of enemies when he went after the Secundum Naturae Ordinem Wesen.”  
  
“Using that long ass Latin name is not going to impress me.  And Jessie Acker may not have been the only member within the department.”  
  
“Just the only one that we caught.”  
  
“Even if we figure out who it was that planted the bomb, that doesn't help the captain right now.”  
  
“Maybe Adalind could help.”  
  
“Adalind isn't a Hexenbiest anymore.”  Hank tried another sip of his cold coffee and found that it had not improved.  
  
“She might know another Hexenbiest in the area.”  
  
“I guess it's worth a try.  Do you even know where she is?”  
  
“Staying with the captain.”  Nick suddenly looked scared.  “If someone put a bomb in the captain's car...”  
  
“They might have put one in his house,” Hank finished Nick's thought.  “We need to get Adalind out of there.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I'm at the Captain's house now and there's no sign of Adalind,” Wu said, talking to Nick over the phone.  “Do you think she's in danger?”  
  
“I don't know.  Can you pick Hank and I up?  We're at the diner.”  
  
“Sure. I take it you haven't heard anything about what progress the bomb squad is making?”  
  
“No, after I left the garage Hank and I went to the diner.  No one has called with an update so I'm assuming there's been no progress.”  
  
“Well North Precinct is running things here so I have nothing to do.  I'll pick you guys up and we'll go from there.”  
  
“Thanks.”    
  
“So now we need to track down Adalind?” Hank asked when Nick set his phone down.  
  
“Looks that way.  I don't even know where to start looking.”  
  
“The sun will be up in another hour.  Monroe and Rosalee?”  
  
“I doubt they know where Adalind would have gone.”  
  
“We gotta start someplace.”  


* * *

  
“I can see the controller,” Karen, the young woman under Sean's car announced.  “It's wired into the on-board computer somehow.  If I try connecting to one of the ports, the controller will likely detect it and detonate the bomb.”  
  
“Can you see the bomb?” Sgt. Tinney asked.  
  
“Bombs.  Four of them, or at least what I'm assuming are bombs.  There's one on each of the axles where the CV boot is.”  
  
“What about a timer?”  
  
“I see one but it's dark.  Nothing is counting down right now.”  
  
“Maybe it failed?” Sgt. Tinney's partner suggested hopefully.  
  
“More like the event that will trigger the countdown hasn't happened yet,” Karen said.  “The sensors on the steering wheel are connected to the timer.  If I had to guess, I'd say releasing the pressure on those sensors will start the timer.  The devices look pretty small.”  
  
“Someone really wants you dead,” Sara said from her spot sitting on the floor of the garage beside the open door.  She still refused to leave and Sean had given up trying to convince her otherwise.  The selfish part of him was glad she was there because she at least could ease some of his discomfort.  
  
“My family.”  
  
“Christmas dinner must be awkward.”  
  
Mentally, Sean slapped himself when Sara's comment made him realize what he'd said.  He was so damn tired and miserable that the filter between his brain and his mouth was completely failing.  “I didn't mean to say that out loud,” he said, deliberately not looking at her.  Instead he glanced around and was relieved that no one else was paying any attention to him because they were too busy figuring out what to do about the explosives.  
  
“Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.  Unless the tabloids are willing to pay me a lot of money.  Then I might have to tell all.”  
  
“Really?”  He rolled his eyes and tried to sound annoyed but honestly he found her to be a relief.  Instead of fretting over him because he was a police captain (or worse, knowing who he was and fretting because he was a prince) she was becoming a welcome distraction to how he felt.  “The tabloids?”  
  
“I doubt TMZ is going to be interested in your secrets, but the gossip rags will love it.  Captain of the Portland Police Bureau targeted for death by his own family.  I bet that would get me at least $40.”  
  
Sean chuckled, then closed his eyes as a sharp pain pulsed through his temples.  A second later he felt a warm hand on the back of his neck and he leaned back, not realizing that he'd tensed up so much until he let her guide him back so that his shoulders and head were again leaning against the seat.  “Thank you,” he said when he finally opened his eyes and saw how worried she looked standing beside him.  “I'm ok now.”  
  
“We should try cutting the wires leading to the explosives,” Tinney said, returning to the passenger side of the vehicle so he could address Sean.  “I think it's our best chance.”  
  
“At least if you're wrong this will finally end.”  
  
“Don't say that,” Sara said, putting her hand over one of his that was gripping the wheel so tight there was a slight tremble.  “What if we used the blood pressure cuffs over the sensor pads to create the same amount of pressure?” she asked Tinney.  
  
“It could work, in theory, if the cuffs can produce the same amount of pressure.”  
  
“As soon as I release the wheel, the timer will start and there's no telling how little time it will have on it,” Sean reminded them.  “If you think cutting the wires is the best option, do it.”  


* * *

  
“Sean is never going to find any peace, is he?” Rosalee asked as she joined Hank, Nick and Wu in the living room.    
  
“And his family is going to some pretty extreme lengths to kill him now,” Monroe added.  “You don't think they took Adalind, do you?”  
  
“I don't know what to think,” Nick admitted.    
  
“Right now we have to focus on what we do know, which is that Sean is going to blow up along with several innocent people unless we do something.  You would need a very strong Hexenbiest to stop a bomb from exploding.”  
  
“Know any?”  
  
“A few come into the spice shop for ingredients, but they aren't powerful enough to stop a bomb.”  With a sigh Rosalee looked to her husband.  “Can you think of any Wesen that could help with something like this?”  
  
“No, but I'll talk to Bud. Maybe he can think of someone who could help.”  
  
“I'm heading back to the command center, see if there's any updates,” Nick said.    
  
“We'll call you if we find out anything,” Monroe promised before Nick and Hank left.  


* * *

  
_It's too quiet,_ Sean thought when he felt Sara putting something cool on his forehead.    
  
“Cooling pads for headaches,” she said, keeping her voice quiet.  “You should have told me sooner.”  
  
“I didn't think I'd be here this long.”  His eyes were closed when he felt a water bottle against his lips.  He took a few sips, grateful for the liquid since his mouth and throat had become dry again.  
  
It was silent again for a few moments, broken by footsteps.  They were light and coming closer, prompting Sean to open his eyes and glance around.    
  
“Daddy.”  
  
A girl was standing in front of him, Martin Meisner beside her holding her hand.  “She said I had to bring her here,” Meisner explained although his tone was flat and his eyes were expressionless.  
  
“Diana?”  He looked to Sara but she was unmoving.  Everyone seemed frozen except for him, Meisner and the girl.  
  
“It's ok Daddy.  I'm here now.”  
  
“You did this?”  
  
She smiled and her eyes glowed violet.  “To save you.”  
  
In a blink she and Meisner were gone, and Sean wondered if he wasn't losing his mind.    
  
“What is it?” Sara asked when Sean looked around, his eyes searching for his daughter.  
  
“These aren't real,” one of the men said from beneath the vehicle.  “They're fakes, made to look like an explosive device.  It's nothing more than cardboard and duct tape.”  
  
“Are you all right?” Sean asked, his focus on Sara.  
  
“Why wouldn't I be?  Sean, what happened?”  
  
“Nothing.  My mind playing tricks on me.”  
  
“It's all fake, that's why the timer is dark.  Someone played a sick joke.”  
  
_Except it wasn't a joke_ , Sean thought, still wondering whether he had hallucinated seeing Diana and Meisner.  “You're sure it's all fake and I can get out of the car?”  
  
“Yes, Captain.  There's no explosives in this vehicle.”  
  
Despite the assurances, he still held his breath as his hands let go of the steering wheel.  When he counted to five and was still alive, he exhaled and looked at his hands, feeling the pins and needles pain of nerves beginning to fire again.  
  
“Can you move your fingers?”  
  
“Yes.”  It was painful and the joints felt stiff but he did manage to move all ten fingers.  
  
“Just go slowly,” Sara cautioned as he moved his legs to get out of the seat.  “I'll get you settled in the ambulance and we'll take you to the hospital for safe keeping.”  
  
“I'm not going to--”  
  
“I'd listen to her,” Tinney said.  “There's going to be a ton of media out there wanting the details of what happened.  If we tell them there were no injuries, an ambulance leaving without lights and sirens isn't going to attract any attention.  They'll all be waiting to see the police captain that they thought was going to die.”  
  
“Besides, in cases like this I'm pretty sure the city and the police department are going to require that you be checked out to confirm that you're all right.”  
  
“I suppose you're both right.  I really don't feel like a bunch of reporters in my face.”  Sara handed him a bottle of water and he winced when he grabbed it.  “I hope I don't have to make out a report of what happened any time soon.”  
  
“At least you have a good excuse for not doing it,” Sara told him as he took a drink, then handed the bottle back so he could stand up.  
  
“I never thought I was getting out of that car again,” he said.  “Thank you.”  
  
“I didn't do anything.”  
  
“You did a lot.”  
  
“I told your partner he could drive the ambulance up here,” one of the men said.  “He should be just a few minutes.”  
  
“I hope you don't think I'm leaving here on a gurney.”  
  
“I don't, but you might feel better if you lie down in the back of the ambulance.  How's your back?”  
  
“Better now.  I need to call someone, excuse me for just a second.”  He pulled his phone from the pocket of his coat, his fingers still not fully cooperating as he tried to dial a number.  Finally he succeeded in dialing Nick's number, wanting to reassure the detective that he was unharmed.  The look on Nick's face when he'd finally been forced to leave the parking garage was one Sean didn't think he would ever forget.  


* * *

  
Nick and Hank were behind the perimeter line that had been set up around the precinct after an unsuccessful attempt to get inside and find out what was going on.  After dropping them off Wu said he was going to see if he could find out anything from a few officers he knew from the North Precinct but so far the sergeant hadn't returned.  “Something's wrong,” Nick said to his partner.  “If it was good news, Wu would be back by now and we'd have gotten word from the command center.”  
  
“Hey, no news is good news, right?”  
  
When Nick's phone rang he pulled it from his pocket and smiled with relief.  “It's the captain,” he told Hank.  “It must be over.”  He swiped the screen with his finger to answer the call, still smiling.  “Captain?”  


* * *

  
Rosalee had the television on for background noise while she poured through some books she had brought upstairs.  So far she hadn't found any sort of Wesen that might be able to stop a bomb from blowing up but she kept looking.  A sound broke her concentration and she looked around, finally realizing that it had come from the television.  A red 'breaking news' banner was on the screen so she turned the volume up to hear what was being said as a reporter came on.  
  
“We're live in Portland just a few blocks from the Central Precinct of the Portland Police Bureau where there has been an ongoing situation.  Shortly after midnight all of the buildings within a four block radius were evacuated after reports of a bomb in the parking garage of the precinct.  Just moments ago there was an explosion and it appears that a bomb has detonated.  As you can see,” the reporter said as the camera panned out, “a huge cloud of dust and debris has kicked up so we can't really see what buildings are involved and it is too soon to know if there have been injuries or casualties.”  
  
Rosalee stared in shock at the screen for several seconds, then grabbed her phone from the table in front of her and dialed Nick's number.  All she got was a message that the network was busy so she grabbed her keys and her purse, then went out the door to get in her car in the hopes that her husband was still at Bud's house.  



	4. Chapter 4

Sean turned to look back at his vehicle just as he heard Nick's voice come across the phone.    
  
“Captain?”  
  
Then he was hit by a blast that knocked him down, thrusting him into darkness as debris rained down on him.  It took a few seconds for him to realize that he couldn't hear anything, and he hoped that it was only a temporary result of the blast.  Without thinking he tried to reach out his hand and found that he couldn't move for all of the debris.  He woged, hoping that his Zauberbiest strength would help but all that it accomplished was sending a stabbing pain along his spine.    
  
If Diana really was here, and if she turned the explosives into fakes, then whoever the family hired must have planted additional explosives as a backup plan.  Wouldn't they have searched the rest of the building?  His thoughts turned to the people that had spent the past hours trying to save him, and he clung to the hope that if he survived the blast, they could have survived to.  Sara.  She had moved away from the vehicle with him and he refused to think about her being dead.  _Nick, I have to get out of here before the family goes after Nick and the others._   He tried again to move but it felt like the weight of the entire structure was on him and it was getting difficult to even get air into his lungs.  _Mother, I miss you.  I want to see you one more time.  I love you_ , he thought as consciousness slipped from him.

* * *

  
“Getting yourself killed isn't going to save anyone,” Hank said, barely hanging onto his partner.  As soon as they realized that there had been an explosion, Nick had taken off for the site, determined to dig with his bare hands if necessary.  It had taken a few more officers and firefighters to finally get Nick back to the firetruck where Hank threatened to handcuff him to the truck if he didn't calm down and listen to reason.    
  
“I have a better chance of hearing any movement than anyone else here and you know it.”  Nick was leaning against the truck, glaring at the handcuffs that Hank was still holding.  “Put those away already.”  
  
“I will when I believe you aren't going to run into that building when I blink.”  
  
“I should call his mother.  She deserves to know what's going on.”  
  
“I though Sean didn't even know how to reach her when everything was going on with Juliette.”  
  
“He had a number for her, she just wasn't returning his calls.”  
  
“And you have the number?”  
  
“The Captain gave it to me after the whole Jack incident.  It really messed with his head to know that his body was completely out of his control and he doesn't even remember what happened.”    
  
“Go call her, and I'll see if I can find out anything.”  
  
“You're not going to handcuff me to the firetruck?”  
  
“Did you want me too?”  
  
“Not really.”  
  
“Do not go running off to dig through the rubble.  Wait here until I get back.”  
  
Nick watched as Hank took off, then dialed the number Sean had given him.  It went straight into a voicemail greeting so he waited for the prompt to leave a message.  “It's Nick Burkhardt.  Call me back when you get this message.  There's been an...incident.”  
  
“So you're the Grimm,” the fire chief said when it was just the two of them beside the truck.  The chief voged, his face covered with bluish scales briefly before the woge resided.  “I understand you have...excellent hearing.”  
  
“Yes.  Sorry, you're wesen?”  
  
“Trasque, though I doubt you've heard of my kind.  I need your hearing if we're going to find any survivors in there.  Will you help us?”  
  
“Of course, that's all I've wanted to do since this whole thing started.”  
  
“You'll need equipment.  Come with me and I'll get you ready.”

* * *

  
When Sean woke again, he felt as though he were floating.  He couldn't feel anything, he couldn't see anything...he could hear, though.  There was a quiet, steady beeping so he assume he was in a hospital.  His throat was sore but other than that he was numb.    
  
No, not numb, he could feel a hand cradle his own.  _Mother?_   He tried to ask out loud but the words wouldn't quite form.  
  
“Rest.  I'll still be here when you wake up but you need sleep right now,” he heard her say, and somehow knowing that she was there beside him made it easier to give in to sleep.  
  
The next time he woke up, he was able to get his eyes open and breath a sigh of relief that he was not blind.  “Nick?” he asked, surprised to see the detective dozing in a chair by his bed.  
  
“Captain, good to see you awake,” Nick said, sitting up so he could lean forward.  “Your mom will be back in a bit, she just wanted to check on something.”  
  
Sean tried to sit up but that just made what had been a dull ache turn into a much stronger, much sharper pain that radiated through his neck and shoulders.  
  
“Just lie still, ok?  If the nurses think I got you agitated they'll kick me out.  I'm not even supposed to be in here but your mother convinced them.”  
  
“I can imagine how she managed that.”  
  
“Just...I'm glad you survived.  I thought I'd lost you.”  
  
“I thought that myself a few times.”  
  
“I should let your mother know that you're awake.  And the doctor.”  
  
“Nick, thank you for being here.  It means a lot.”  He reached out a hand and was relieved and surprised in equal parts when Nick grabbed it and gave a gentle squeeze.  
  
“I can stick around if you want.  After I get your mother and your doctor, of course.  Unless you want--”  
  
“I'd like you to stay.”  _Great, now I can't stand the thought of being alone and it's going to look like I'm weak.  Just like my family wants me to be._  
  
“Good, because I'm afraid your family will try again and I'd rather be close by if they do.”  
  
“They're going to try again but it isn't me they'll be coming after.”  
  
The door to the room opened and Sean cursed the bad timing that seemed to follow him everywhere.  It was the doctor, looking pleased that Sean was awake.  
  
“Good to have you back with us, Mr. Renard.”  
  
“I'll be right outside,” Nick said, wanting to give the captain his privacy while talking to the doctor.

“It's just Sean, please.”  He winced as he said the words, trying and failing to find a more comfortable position in the bed.  He regretted not telling Nick to stay but the detective was already gone and the door shut.  
  
“You need to lie still.  Trying to move will only aggravate your injuries more, and you have an impressive list of them.”  
  
“How bad is it?”  Again he cursed himself, hearing the slight break in his voice.  
  
“Nothing that will end your career, I promise.  You have a broken collarbone but other than causing you some pain, it shouldn't require anything more than a sling once you leave so that it heals properly.  There's bad bruising to your ribs as well, but again nothing that won't heal on its own.  Your leg though...”  
  
When the doctor trailed off Sean got scared.  Dr. Mosey had been his doctor for years and had seen him through the shooting so he trusted the man completely with his medical care.  “What about my leg?”  
  
“They're both still attached to your body, Sean,” the doctor said when his patient pulled the sheet off to check.    
  
Sean wasn't ready for the sight that greeted him, though it was a relief to see that he still had both legs.  His left leg was in a splint that ran from ankle to groin and his right was splinted to a metal frame that went from his foot to his knee.  “You said there was nothing that would end my career.”  
  
“And it won't, but you're going to have to be patient and let your body heal.  You have fractures and some torn ligaments but it will heal.  The orthopedic surgeon your mother brought with her can discuss all of that with you.  How is your pain?”  
  
“It's not bad.  I don't need any more drugs.”  
  
“We can discuss that later, when the ones currently running through your body wear off.  I'll have someone bring in a fresh pitcher of water.”  
  
Just as Dr. Mosley was opening the door to leave there was an anguished cry from the hallway, and Sean could hear Nick's voice as well as his mother's.  “Get your rest,” the doctor said before leaving.    
  
Nick didn't come back in right away, and Sean was left with his own thoughts.  At least he would heal, though he had never been a good patient and being a Zauberbiest didn't make him any better at dealing with pain.  He would never admit it but given the choice between being in pain and being drugged to the gills, he would prefer the drugs.  Not now though, when there was such a grave threat to Nick and the other people in his life.  He couldn't afford not to be completely clear headed.  
  
His mother entered the room and when the door was open Sean could hear Nick's voice as well as whoever was still out there sobbing, though now it was a much softer sound like someone who had given up.  
  
“So now I have to nearly die for you to come and see me,” he said with a bit more bitterness than he meant to.  He tried to understand why she always disappeared but at the moment he wondered if she ever missed him as much as he missed her.  
  
“I'm sorry.”  
  
“Yeah, me too.  I shouldn't have said that.  You're here now, that's what matters.”  
  
“So the doctor told you that you're going to need surgery?”  
  
“No, just that you had brought a surgeon with you.”  
  
“She's one of the best in the world.  You are going to recover, Sean.”  
  
“Who was crying out in the hall?  I heard your voice so you must have been talking to them.”  
  
“A man who just lost his wife,” she said after a moment's hesitation.  
  
“From the explosion.”  
  
He watched his mother's face as she turned away for just a moment.  “Yes,” she finally answered.  
  
“Who?”  
  
“Sean, now is not--”  
  
“They were there trying to save me, Mother.  Tell me who died.”  
  
“All of them.  You were the only survivor.  You were found near an outside wall, that's what saved you when the floor above collapsed from the blast."  
  
He closed his eyes and tried not to let the emotional pain overtake him.  Sara could have left at any time but she stayed.  And now she was gone, and he was alive.  It made no sense and it certainly wasn't fair.  
  
“You can't dwell on their deaths right now, there will be time to grieve but now you have to heal and--”  
  
“I want to talk to her family.”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“Sara, she was a paramedic.  She stayed with me the whole time.”  
  
“I really don't think that's a good idea.”  
  
“I want them to know how brave she was, and that I am going to kill everyone responsible for her death.”  
  
“Her husband is in the hall with Detective Burkhardt but I don't think now is the time.  They waited until he could get here before removing her from life support.  Maybe later, when the emotions aren't so raw for you both, the two of you can talk.  Don't think I can't see the pain in your eyes, Sean.  Her death was not your fault.”  
  
There was a knock at the door and Nick stuck his head in.  “I need to give someone a ride home but I'll be back later.  I'm sure you and your mother have a lot of catching up to do.”  
  
“No, Nick, you can't go.  You're in danger, all of you are.  The last message that device in the car played said that the family was going after all of you.  Hank, Rosalee, Monroe...none of you are safe.”  
  
“Adalind?”  
  
“Yes, it mentioned Adalind.”  
  
“We haven't been able to find Adalind since I found you in your car.”  
  
“Finding her and keeping everyone together and safe is the priority.”  
  
“I'll drive Sara's husband home.  Nicholas, stay here with my son please.  The surgeon may be in to see you before I get back but you can trust her, I swear.  She knows what we are.”  
  
The pain medication chose to start wearing off as she left and Sean wondered what he had done to offend the universe so badly.


	5. Chapter 5

“You should be looking for Adalind,” Sean said, his eyes closed.  
  
“Hank is looking, and he's got Monroe and Rosalee on the case.  I told your mother I would stay here and I really don't want to get on her bad side.”  
  
“Wise choice.”  
  
Nick smiled and watched as Sean's body relaxed.  The orthopedic surgeon had come by to introduce herself and said that she would be back the next day when the swelling had gone down more.  Then she ordered a higher dose of pain medication so Sean could sleep comfortably.    
  
“Get some sleep,” he said, knowing that his captain was losing the battle to stay awake.  
  
“My mother should have been back by now.”  
  
“There's probably traffic with the rain.”  
  
“I should have refused the drugs.”  
  
“You should have gotten them sooner.”  
  
“Can you contact Theresa?”  
  
“I can try.  Tired of my company already?” he teased.  
  
“The message named Theresa as one of the targets.  They'll be coming after all of you.”  
  
“And we're ready for them.”  
  
“I shouldn't have let my mother leave.  She's alone, they could attack her and--”  
  
“Ok, stop this,” Nick said gently.  “Your mother is a very powerful Hexenbiest and I'm sure she is always very cautious.  Now sleep.”  
  
“You're awfully bossy,” came the slightly slurred reply.    
  
Nick suspected his captain wouldn't remember much of the conversation when he finally woke up.  A nurse came in to to check on the patient and she brought Nick a pillow and blanket.  
  
“He should sleep for several hours so if you wanted to head out, I'll keep an eye on him,” she offered.  
  
“Thanks, but I'm fine here.”  
  
They were left alone after that and Nick dozed off.  He awoke when Elizabeth pulled up the blanket that had started to slide onto the floor.    
  
“Sorry,” he mumbled, still half-asleep.  
  
“It's all right.  Sean is still sleeping and you need some rest yourself.”  
  
“The surgeon came by.  She said she'll be back tomorrow.”  
  
“I spoke to her in the hall.  You can go to sleep.  Nothing is going to happen.”  
  
As she spoke he felt his eyes getting heavier again, and he briefly wondered if Elizabeth wasn't causing it.  
  
Once the Grimm was asleep, she brought the remaining chair over and sat on the other side of the bed.  “The two of you are equally stubborn, I will give you that,” she whispered, holding her son's hand.  “I know that you love him, but sometimes I wonder if you realize it yourself.”

* * *

Sean awoke to the feeling of a knife stabbing his leg over and over.  With a groan he opened his eyes to find his mother sitting in a chair by the bed, watching him.  “You're here.”  
  
“Of course I'm here,” she replies, brushing her fingers across his forehead.  “Do you really think I would leave you when you need me?”  
  
The sound of someone shifting on the other side of the bed got his attention, and Sean saw Nick occupying the chair on the other side of the bed, leaning against a pillow and wrapped in a blanket that matched the one on the bed.  “Nick?”  
  
“Mmhm.”  Nick's eyes never opened and Sean suspected his detective was more than half asleep.  
  
“You should go home and get some rest.”  
  
One eye opened up to regard Sean for a moment.  “No,” Nick said firmly, closing the one eye again.  
  
“I'm going to let Dr. Eldensen know that you're awake.  I won't be long.”  
  
After kissing him on the forehead, Elizabeth left and Sean winced in sympathy for Nick's uncomfortable position.  “Nick, please go home.  It's making my back hurt looking at you.”  
  
Nick finally stood up though he was moving slowly.  “How are you feeling?” he asked as he tried to stretch the muscles in his lower back.  
  
“Better than you from the looks of things.”  
  
“Right,” Nick said when Sean's face momentarily showed the pain he was feeling.  “Is it your legs?”  
  
“Better than not feeling anything.”    
  
“Maybe.  How's the rest of you feel?”  
  
“All things considered, not bad.”  There was a moment of silence and Sean felt like the weight of the world was upon him again.  “So many lives were lost, Nick.”  
  
“That was not your fault.  Hey, you didn't do this, remember?”  
  
“I know, but if they hadn't been trying to save me then--”  
  
“Then you would be dead and the world would not be better off.”  
  
“I saw Diana.”  
  
“Wait, what?  When?”  
  
“When I was still in the car.  She was there.  I know it's not possible but it felt so real.”  
  
“She is very powerful.  Once Juliette thought that Adalind had left Diana on the bed but it turned out to be nothing but a pillow in her arms.  Maybe she can project her image to communicate with people over a distance.  You are her father so if she thought you were in danger it makes sense that she would appear to you.”  
  
“Sean, good to see that you're awake,” Dr. Eldensen said as she followed Elizabeth into the room.  “Nick, I hope you got some sleep.”  
  
“I did, and now I'm going to get out of the way so you can take care of the captain.”  
  
“Let me know if you hear anything about Adalind.”  Sean didn't want Nick to leave but rationalized that after what had happened it was only normal for him to want those he cared about close by.  When Nick had become one of those he cared about wasn't something he was going to think about at the moment.  
  
“I will.”  
  
“I'll be right back,” Elizabeth said as she followed Nick out of the room.  
  
“Something wrong?”  
  
“I just wanted to thank you for staying.”  
  
“It was the least I could do.”  
  
“It was more than Sean expected of you.  I know that you care for him and I hope you know that he cares for you.”  
  
“As odd as it sounds, I do.  I don't understand it, but I do know it, and I have no intention of hurting him.”  
  
“That's why I'm so glad you stayed with him.  He's been hurt enough in his life by the people he has cared for.”  
  
She left Nick standing in the hallway, confused that she seemed to know his feelings for the captain better than he did.  “I'm losing my own mind,” he said aloud as he dialed Hank's number.    
  
“Nick, how's the captain?”  
  
“Hey Hank, he's doing ok.  The doctor is in with him now.  Any luck finding Adalind?”  
  
“No, Wu has been checking with airlines, buses, taxi services, and it's all come up empty.  Since her Hexenbiest powers were suppressed and she's going to give birth any day I'm beginning to doubt if she left.”  
  
“You think she's still in Portland?”  
  
“Maybe she's hiding from someone, maybe she's working with whoever tried to kill the captain.  She did steal your Grimm powers to get back at you for taking Diana so who knows what she'll do to get back at him.”  
  
“I'm going to catch a taxi home, maybe sleep for a few hours and hope my brain starts working again.”  
  
“Maybe I should come and get you.”  
  
“I'll be fine.  They'd have to be stupid to kill me in my own home right after failing to kill the captain.”

* * *

“I don't know what you want from me,” Adalind said to the ceiling.  She'd gone to take a nap and awoke in this unfamiliar room.  It appeared to be an apartment or a hotel suite with a small kitchen, but the door was locked and the windows boarded and barred.  No one had spoken to her; there wasn't even a telephone so she could communicate with the world outside of her well-furnished prison.  
  
Her captors must not have wanted her to die as there was food in the refrigerator.  The bed had sheets and the shower had towels, body wash and shampoo so she kept telling herself that they didn't mean to hurt her...at least not until after her baby was born.  She feared that her life would not last long once the baby had come.  
  
Surely Nick would be looking for her, she firmly believed that.  He cared about his son and wouldn't just give up.    
  
“No one is going to take you away from me.  Your father will find us and keep you safe.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to those who have been so good as to leave comments and kudos. It means everything to know that someone else is getting some pleasure from reading this :)

“In a few days I'll operate to reset the bones and see what damage there is to the tendons.  For now I'll keep you well medicated so you can rest.”  
  
“I don't need to be drugged.  I need to keep my friends and my family safe from whoever tried to kill me.”  
  
“There are a lot of people who care about you.  Maybe you should let your family take care of you while you recover.”  
  
“My family put me here.”  
  
Dr. Eldensen sat in the chair that Elizabeth had vacated.  “Your blood relatives may have attacked you, but your family has been at your bedside and camped outside your hospital room since you were brought here.  Don't confuse blood with family.”  
  
“How do you know my mother?”  
  
“She made potions for me in Russia.  Your mother became a good friend of mine.”  
  
“I used to stay at your house sometimes.  You had children didn't you?”  
  
“Jon and Ava.”  
  
“I remember them.  Where are they now?”  
  
“Jon died three years ago when the car he was in lost control and went off the road.  Ava is in Denmark with a family of her own.”  
  
“I'm very sorry to hear about Jon.  I never meant to lose touch with them but...”  
  
“But that is the life one leads when running from the royal family.  Ava was lucky; the Scandinavian royals have been good to her and protected her from your father, but Jon didn't want to be protected.  He wanted to fight and so he did until the end.”  
  
“Is Ava happy?”  
  
“Very much so.  She is married to Prince Christian of the House Roskilde and has two beautiful sons.  She would like to come see you if you are agreeable.”  
  
“Of course, she and her family are always welcome here.  As I recall House Roskilde aided my mother a time or two.”  
  
“They are one of the better royal houses, and Ava will be thrilled to see you again.”  
  
“How long am I going to be stuck in this bed?”  
  
“If the surgery goes well, and there's no reason to believe that it won't, you should be able to walk very short distances with crutches a day or two after surgery.  You're going to be in casts for a few weeks so you won't be doing a whole lot of walking and definitely nothing involving stairs.”  
  
“The family got what they wanted then.  I can't protect the people I care about.”  
  
“A king doesn't fight the war, he sends his armies to fight the war.  You have an army of people, both human and wesen, who are loyal to you and want to help you.  This time, let your army fight for you.”

* * *

“You can't just keep me here,” Adalind said as she paced around the suite.  She didn't know how long she had been there or what time it was as there was nothing that had a clock or a timer on it, and no light or sound got in from the outside world.  The television wasn't connected to any outside signal so she could only watch the assortment of DVD's that was there or listen to music on CD's.  “This baby is going to be coming soon and I nearly died giving birth to my first one.  If you want me or this baby alive, you need to get me to a hospital.”  
  
The television suddenly came on and began emitting a sine tone.  It caught Adalind's attention and she sat on the sofa across from it.  The screen was blue but letters began to appear on it as though someone was typing.

  
**Vi mener ingen skade på dig eller dit barn. Du er her for din egen sikkerhed. Alt vil blive afsløret.**

  
“Now you're going to send me messages in a foreign language?  Come on, talk to me face to face.”

**Når tiden er inde.**

“I don't understand!”

* * *

A week after the bombing, Sean was finally home.  He was confined to the guest bedroom for now as stairs were completely out of the question, but at least he was stuck in his own house instead of a hospital room.  
  
He didn't remember much about the first day after the surgery beyond hurting but it was obvious that something had happened.  Nick sometimes gave him the most tender looks, and other times he kept his distance and stayed by the foot of the bed.  Hank looked at him strangely, and Monroe and Rosalee just smiled and said that they were glad things were working out.  Even his mother gave him smiles that spoke of how she knew something but refused to tell him what it was, claiming that she didn't know what he could be talking about and that nothing had happened during the time period where his memories were virtually non-existent.  
  
A medical transport was arranged to bring Sean home and Nick and Hank helped get him settled into the guest room.  
  
“Nick, can I talk to you in private?” he finally asked when it seemed everything he might need was in the room.  
  
“I'm going to make a shopping list,” Elizabeth said.  “Perhaps Hank can help me with some grocery shopping.  Monroe and Rosalee will be over in a little bit with some things from the spice shop.”  
  
When it was just the two of them, Nick shut the bedroom door and warily came closer to sit on the edge of the mattress.  “What did you want to talk about?”  
  
“Nick, if I did or said something in the hospital to hurt you or offend you please know that I didn't mean it.”  
  
“I know.  That's what hurts.  Knowing that you didn't meant it.”  
  
“Please tell me what it is that I did.  Whatever it was, I don't want it to come between us.  We've come too far and I rely on you far too much. Please.”  
  
There was just silence for a while.  Nick seemed to be gauging his captain's word and reaction, slowly bringing his hand up to caress Sean's face.  Sean found himself leaning into the touch without really thinking about it.    
  
“You kissed me,” Nick finally said.  “And then when I realized that you didn't remember any of it--”  
  
“You thought that I didn't mean to kiss you.”  
  
“It's not your fault, you were still coming out of the anesthesia and--”  
  
“Was it something you wanted?”  
  
“What?  You think I deliberately took advantage of you like that?”  
  
Sean tensed.  He didn't want to hear the answer to his question but he felt it was like ripping off a bandage – sometimes it was better to just get it over with, deal with the pain and hope there wasn't too much bleeding.  “I asked if it was something you wanted.”  
  
“I...yes.  It took me by surprise but yes, I wanted it.”  
  
“Trust me, so did I.  I'm just sorry I don't remember our first kiss.”  
  
They stared at each other in silence for a while before Nick took a deep breath and spoke.  “Are you hungry?  I could order Chinese or Thai or maybe a pizza.”  
  
“We can't ignore this, Nick.”  
  
“I know.  I don't know what happens next but however this progresses, I'm not going anywhere.  It's taken too long to get to this point.”  
  
“There's a grill a few blocks from here that makes a good Manhattan clam chowder.  They have delivery service.  There should be a menu on the refrigerator.”  
  
“I'll go get it.”    
  
As Nick was getting up, Sean gripped his arm and pulled him back down.  “Before you do, there's a favor I need to ask.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“You remember our kiss, but I don't.”  
  
“I can take care of that.”    
  
The mouth that met his own was warm and gentle, and Sean closed his eyes as his body relaxed.  It was fairly chaste – Nick barely nibbled at his bottom lip – but Sean felt sated by the knowledge that Nick wanted to see where this thing between them might lead.

“You'd best remember that one or my feelings will be hurt,” Nick said when he pulled back and pressed a kiss to Sean's forehead.  “I'll be damned if your family is going to hurt you any more.”  
  
“You're my family, Nick.  You and Hank and my mother and Monroe and Rosalee and--”  
  
“Ok, you don't have to list everyone who cares about you.  Just as long as you know that you are not alone.”  
  
“Does that mean you'll be staying?”  
  
“If you don't mind.  Your mother is staying in the upstairs bedroom but I can take the sofa.”  
  
“Nick, you don't--”  
  
“We're taking this slow.  Besides, the last thing you need is another body moving around the bed while you're trying to recover.”  
  
“I was going to say that you don't need to sleep on the sofa because there's a day bed in the den upstairs.  It's more comfortable than the sofa.”  
  
“Oh.  Thanks.”  
  
“You know this is going to cause problems at work.”  
  
“I don't want to think about that right now.”  
  
“Me neither.”  
  
Nick leaned in for another kiss just as the doorbell rang.  “That would be Monroe and Rosalee,” he said as he moved off the bed.  
  
“We've got plenty of time Nick.  There's no hurry, right?”  
  
“There could be a little hurrying,” Nick teased before he left to answer the door.


	7. Chapter 7

As thankful as Sean was to be back in his own house, the silence made him miss the very things that he had found to be annoying while he was in the hospital – the steady electrical hum of equipment, the dim glow that never let the room sink into complete darkness, and the nurses coming in to check on him throughout the night.  With nothing else to focus on, his mind went back to being in his car, thinking that he was going to die and listening to the horrible voice saying all of the things that were going to happen to those he cared about.  
  
_Prince Sean_ , he heard a voice whisper, and his body tensed with fear.  He reached for the table lamp but the guest room wasn't familiar enough for him to find anything from memory.  Reaching out blindly, he succeeded in knocking something to the floor with a loud thump and a small splash.  Then the door was opening silently and light was spilling in from beyond, and a silhouette appeared.  
  
“Sean, you ok?” the figure asked in a voice that was very familiar.  
  
“Nick.”  His fear gave way to relief as he realized he must have been dreaming.  It was just Nick, clad in flannel pants and a t-shirt.  His mother was upstairs, and he was safe in his own house.  
  
“Sorry, I should have left the door open or a light on so you could see.”  
  
“You didn't do anything wrong.  It was just a bad dream.”  
  
Nick bent down and picked up the glass of water that was on the floor.  “I'll get a towel to get the water up and maybe we'll stick to bottled water.”  
  
“That would probably be wise.”  
  
“You want to talk about it?”  
  
“There's nothing to talk about. I don't really remember it.  I woke up and in trying to turn the lamp on I knocked the glass over.  I'm sorry about that.  You don't have to clean it up.”  
  
“Right, you're going to just hop out of the bed and do it yourself.”  Nick had meant it as a joke but regretted the words as soon as he said them.  Sean didn't really need to be reminded that the cast on his left leg was heavy and bulky and made getting in and out of bed a huge effort.    
  
“I wish I could.  What I meant was that the carpet isn't going to be ruined by a little water.”  
  
“It still needs to be dried.  I'll be right back.”  
  
An old bath towel soaked up the water quickly and a bottle of water was on the nightstand.  “You know, I could...stay.  This isn't as familiar to you as your own bedroom and with everything that's happened I'd feel better knowing that you're ok.  You could hurt yourself trying to get out of bed alone.”  
  
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”  
  
“I...”  Nick just stared for a few seconds in silence before continuing.  “You?”  
  
“It's fine.  Get in bed and maybe we can both get some sleep.”  Sean glanced at the red display of the clock that sat behind the lamp.  _3:26 AM and all is not well_ , he thought to himself as he noticed that Nick was not moving.  “If you're going to stand here all night, neither of us will get any sleep.”  
  
“Right.”  Nick moved to the other side of the bed and cautiously pulled the covers back.  “Are you sure?  Because I can --”  
  
“Get in the damn bed, Nick.  I'm tired and I want to go to sleep.”  Sensing no movement from the other side of the bed, Sean considered that he shouldn't be snapping at the person trying to help him.  “I'm sorry,” he said as he laid back against the mattress and turned to face Nick.  “I appreciate that you're willing to stay, but this...isn't easy for me.  I know that I'm an easy target right now and I hate feeling vulnerable.”  
  
“You are hardly vulnerable.”  Nick finally slid into the bed, pulling the covers over them both.  After Sean turned the lamp off and settled once more, Nick cuddled a bit closer and felt the cool silk of expensive pajamas against his skin.  It didn't feel nearly as odd as he had imagined it would be.  “Get some sleep.”

 

* * *

  
“Maybe it's for the best and we should just leave it alone,” Nick said when he read the letter from Adalind that had been left on his door.  It was discovered when Monroe dropped Nick off to check on the house and get some more of his clothes.  
  
“I'm sorry,” Monroe said, cautiously putting a hand on the Grimm's shoulder.  
  
“Why?  Just a complication I don't really need.”  
  
“Dude, that's your ** _son_**.”  
  
“Obviously Adalind was just using me when she felt she needed protection from Juliette.  Now that she doesn't, she's taken off and for all we know she was the one that helped the royals nearly kill Sean.  Maybe she did it to get Diana back.”  
  
“And maybe someone wrote this letter so no one would continue looking for her and the baby.  Come on, Nick, do you really think she'd go back to the royals?”  
  
“There's more to the letter,” Nick said as he pushed the piece of paper into Monroe's hands.  "Go on, read the last half.  The part where she finally comes clean about how all of this started.”  
  
While Monroe was reading, Nick punched the door frame which let the Blutbad know that this letter was by no means just a 'dear John' letter.  
  
_I think it's time you knew the truth, Nick.  I'm sure on some level you've suspected but it's best that you have it laid out in front of you before he manipulates you further.  Do you remember how all of this started?  It started with me giving Hank those cookies.  'Le mort pour l'amour'  Ask Sean to say it for you.   French rolls off his tongue like silk.  I made it because Sean told me to.  It was Sean who wanted me to drive a wedge between you and Hank.  It was Sean who wanted me to make the Zaubertrank so Hank would be obsessed with me.  If not for that potion, you wouldn't have needed to take my powers to save Hank, and I wouldn't have needed Sean to get me pregnant so I could get my powers back.  I wouldn't have stolen your powers because you wouldn't have stolen my child._

_Juliette wouldn't have become a Hexenbiest because she wouldn't have needed to take a potion so you could get your powers back._

_Sean's family wouldn't have killed your mother to get my child._  
  
_So much destruction and I'm guessing Sean has never once admitted that it was all his fault.  That's true love for you right there._  
  
Monroe crumpled the letter up.  “This doesn't prove anything, it could just be Adalind lashing out.  Why would the captain have ever wanted to drive a wedge between you and Hank?”  
  
“I don't know,” Nick said, snatched the paper ball from Monroe's hand, “but I'm damned well going to find out.”

 

* * *

  
“Did you sleep well?” Elizabeth asking, grinning as she watched him settle on the sofa.  The house had not been designed for someone trying to hobble around on crutches with one leg in a very rigid cast.  
  
“Don't play coy, Mother, you're not good at it.”  
  
“I heard Nick go down the stairs and never come back up.  Are my assumptions wrong?”  
  
“We slept together in the very literal sense of the word.  We only slept.”  
  
“This time.”  
  
“Mother.”  He tone was filled with warning but his cheeks were turning pink as he turned away from her.  “This isn't something I want to discuss.”  
  
“Of course.  Would you like some coffee?”  
  
“Yes, please.”  
  
“Ava will be coming over later if you feel up to a visit.”  
  
“Ava is here?”  
  
“She and her husband have been in Portland for a few days.  She's been visiting with her mother and didn't want to overwhelm you in the hospital.”  
  
“I look forward to seeing them both.  I met the King and Queen once when the family was visiting Canada and they seem like very nice people.”  
  
“Most royal families are, your own notwithstanding.”  She poured coffee into a mug for him and put it in his hands.  “Are you hungry?  I can fix some french toast.”  
  
“I haven't had french toast since I was nine.”  
  
“Then it's time you had it again.”  
  
“Mother, what are you really up to?  This whole domestic thing isn't you.”  
  
“I just want to make sure that you are happy and healing.  You can't imagine what it felt like to think I could lose you again.”  
  
“So I take it you approve of Nick?”  
  
“I thought you didn't want to discuss it.  Besides, I met Nick the last time I was here.  Do you think I would have helped him get his Grimm powers back if I didn't like him?”  
  
“I thought you did it because I convinced you that he could keep Diana safe as a Grimm.”  
  
“I did it because I knew that if he didn't get his powers back he would walk out of your life and you would have been hurt.”  
  
The front door opened and slammed shut with such fury that Elizabeth and Sean both woged for a second in response.  “Now Nick, you need to calm down and not kill anyone.  At least hear Sean's side of this,” Monroe was pleading as Nick stormed into the living room.  
  
“Good, his Highness is out of bed.”    
  
“Nick, what is the meaning of this?” Elizabeth asked, standing up to get between the Grimm and her son.  
  
“I actually believed that we had something, that there was...something between us, but it was just lies.  You would do anything to get what you want and if people get hurt, if people die, then so be it just so long as you get it.”  He was glaring at both Elizabeth and Sean, daring them to give him a reason to unleash the Grimm inside him that wanted to kill the both of them.  Elizabeth woged and Nick just laughed.  “You know what?  Go ahead.  There's nothing left that you can do to me.  Your son has destroyed my entire life and has yet to even admit it.”  He threw the letter, pressed into a tight ball by his clenched fist, at Sean.    
  
“I don't know what this is about Nick but--”  
  
“Shut up.  I don't want to hear another word, I don't even want to look at you.  Do not try to find me because if you do, you'll find out just what kind of a Grimm I can be.”  
  
Monroe let Nick storm out of the house on his own, choosing to move closer to Sean rather than follow his friend out the door.  “I think he's just in shock over...”  
  
“Where was this letter?” Sean asked after he'd read it.  
  
“It was on Nick's front door.”  
  
Elizabeth took the letter to read for herself while Sean felt like his heart had been torn by the force that the Grimm used to slam the door shut.  “It was bound to come out sooner or later,” he said softly.  “I was stupid to think that Nick and I could maintain a friendship.”  
  
“Do you really think Adalind wrote this?” Elizabeth asked.  
  
“It doesn't matter.”  
  
“Of course it matters!” Monroe said.  “Someone did this to hurt you and Nick and drive you apart!”  
  
“It's still true.  I am to blame for all of it and Nick will never forgive me.”  
 


	8. Chapter 8

Once the door slammed behind him, Nick regretted storming out the way he had.  Now he would have to face Sean and probably Elizabeth another time to retrieve his clothes.  He could wait until Sean...until Captain Renard was back to work and then get his things.  He had a key to the house that Sean had given him a few hours ago.  It felt like it had been a lifetime ago, before this latest bit of happiness had turned to ashes.  
  
It was obvious that Monroe wasn't going to be coming out to take him home so he pulled out his phone and called a taxi.  He didn't want to listen to the Blutbad trying to convince him that he was being unfair.  Maybe he was, but it seemed that everything about this situation was unfair and there was no going back to a state of blissful ignorance.    
  
Adalind's letter was strange, he had to admit.  Why she had waited so long to confess that she had been working for Sean was beyond his understand but Nick had no desire to understand anything about Adalind.  Let the captain find her if he wanted to.    
  
The house key was weighing heavy in Nick's pocket while he waited for the taxi.  It felt wrong to keep it, but giving it back seemed too final.  It would be the proof that whatever was between Nick and Sean was gone and there was no going back.  _What was it Aunt Marie used to say about burning bridges?_   The thought of his aunt, and of Adalind's attempt to kill her, made the anger in him burn hotter.  
  
When he saw the taxi pulling up Nick pulled the house key from his pocket, ran back to the front door and slid the key into the mail slot.    
  
_Burning your bridges keeps you from going back to a place you never should have been to begin with._

 

* * *

  
  
“So you were the one that ordered the hit on Nick's aunt?”  
  
“I am.”  It seemed so long ago, things had been so different, he had been different.  “You should find Nick,” he told the Blutbad, “before he does something he regrets.”  
  
“Yeah.”  Monroe walked to the door and opened it, then bent down to pick up a key that was on the floor in the entrance.  “Someone must have dropped this,” he told Elizabeth, handing it to her before going out.  She shut the door behind him and then stared at the key in her hand.    
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Your housekey.”  She offered it to him and he took it, clenching it tightly in his fist.  
  
“The one I gave Nick.”  It had only been a few hours ago that he had given the key to Nick.  “He must have put it through the mail slot.”  
  
“Or perhaps in his haste to leave he dropped it.  Sean, please--”  
  
“He isn't coming back.  I would never forgive someone who did what I did.  Neither will he.”  He tossed the key at the coffee table, not caring when it bounced off onto the carpet beneath.    
  
“I am so sorry.  Please, don't give up on him just yet.  He's hurt and he's angry but once that wears off I think he'll realize that you were both very different people back then.”  
  
“He'll tell Hank, Hank will tell Wu, word will spread among Nick's Wesen friends, and just like that I've lost everything.”  
  
“Give him a little more credit than that.  Even if he hates you, he isn't stupid.  He needs you if he wants to continue the life he has in Portland.  There's no reason for him to undermine you and risk you turning on him.”  
  
“I should have just told him.  I would have, I just...”  
  
“You were afraid that he wouldn't forgive you.  The things Adalind did on her own were not your fault though.  You didn't order her to put Juliette in a coma or to steal his Grimm powers.  You may have willingly had sex with her but you didn't tell her to run off and advertise to the world that she was pregnant with a royal baby.  Adalind is the only one responsible for her actions.  Maybe it's for the best that she's vanished.”  
  
“She's the mother of my child and pregnant with Nick's.  We need to find her.  I don't want Nick going through what I have.”  
  
“Don't give up.”  She sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him towards her.  “It's ok to cry, you know.”  
  
“Since when?”  
  
“I never meant for you to keep all of your emotions so tightly bottled up.  When we were at the castle I only told you to hide your feelings because everyone there enjoyed taunting you and seeing you hurting.  This isn't the castle, and no one here is going to enjoy your pain so let it out.”  
  
“I don't think I remember how to cry.”

* * *

  
“Adalind was working for the Captain back then?  Are you sure?  Just because Adalind allegedly wrote it in a letter doesn't mean--”  
  
“He didn't deny it, Hank.  I confronted him and gave him the letter, and he never said that it was a lie.”  
  
“So he has the letter now?  How are we supposed to find Adalind if--”  
  
“We aren't.”  
  
“She's carrying your son, Nick.  Are you telling me you don't care about that anymore?”  
  
“Why should I?  Why should I ever believe that it's mine?  No, I'm done with her.  I'm done with all of it.”  
  
“And by 'it' you mean...?”  
  
“I can't stay in Portland.”  
  
“You can't just run off blindly either.  Here you've got friends to watch your back and--”  
  
“I'm leaving Portland, Hank.  I can't stay.”  
  
When Nick ended the call Hank was still trying to process it all.  _Why would the captain want Adalind to make me fall in love with her?  It couldn't have been to kill me.  There are easier and cleaner ways to achieve that.  Adalind, or whoever wrote that letter, has to be lying.  It can't be true._  
  
He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door, refusing to believe that the man he had known for years before Nick became Grimm would have done such a thing.  

 

* * *

  
  
Monroe felt a rush of relief when he pulled up to Nick's house and found his friend was at home.  That his friend was currently carrying boxes out of his house and putting them into the back of what had to be a rented SUV was a bit concerning.  
  
“Hey Nick, I just --”  
  
“I'm leaving,” Nick interrupted as he headed back up the steps that led to the front door.  
  
“Leaving and going where?  Nick?”  
  
“It's all been lies, Monroe.  Everything.  It was bad enough when he and Juliette had their obsession and he didn't tell me what was going on.  I can understand Juliette not telling me, she didn't know about Wesen and Hexenbiests and potions but he did.  He knew all about it and he didn't come to me and tell me.”  
  
“Yeah, because that would have gone over really well.”  Monroe followed Nick into the house, glad that at least the door was held for him instead of being slammed in his face.    
  
“He's done nothing but use me.  Those days are over.”  
  
“We've all changed, Nick.  We aren't the same people we were all those years ago.  I'm not, you're not, and your captain is certainly not.  Besides, why are you so willing to believe what was in that letter?”  
  
“He didn't deny it.”  
  
“Ok, you barely gave him time to grunt, much less to offer an explanation.  You were finally happy, Nick.  After everything that you've been through, everything the captain has been through, don't you think you could give him ten minutes to explain things?  Why are you in such a hurry to walk away from something you want?”  
  
“Better than staying with someone I can't trust.”  
  
“I get it, ok, you feel betrayed but--”  
  
“There is no but, Monroe.  He was behind all the bad things that happened and for all I know, he still is behind the bad things.”  
  
“So what, you think he tried to blow himself up?”  
  
“No, I think that all the stuff he has done has finally caught up with him.”  
  
“You think he deserved what happened?”  
  
Nick shook his head.  “Of course not.”  No one deserved to be in the state the captain had been in after the blast.  “I told his mother that I wouldn't hurt him,” he said in a quiet voice.  
  
“Listen, nothing has been done that can't be undone.  Go back, hear his side of the story and maybe forgive him for the things he did.  You can't blame him for what Adalind did out of spite.”  
  
He'd been so angry and so glad to have someone at whose feet he could lay all of the blame.  When he'd first become a Grimm he probably would have reacted very badly to finding out that the captain was not only Wesen but royalty.  Perhaps he could understand why the man had waited until his hand was forced before coming clean.  The whole incident with Hank was another matter but he conceded that Monroe had a point.  It wouldn't hurt to go back and see what Sean said about it.  Once he'd heard the captain out, he could still leave.    
  
“You're right.  I need to go back there and hope that his mother doesn't kill me on sight.”  
  
“She won't.  Come on, I'll drive you over there.  Something tells me Sean will be glad to see you.”  
  
“Or he'll send me away.”  
  
“He won't.  He cares about you, idiot.”  
  
“Cared.  After what I did I--”  
  
“Did you ever hear the phase 'don't borrow trouble'?”  
  
“Ok, ok, I get it.  Let's go back and I'll face the consequences.”

 

* * *

  
  
“I guess you've spoken to Nick?” Elizabeth said when she opened the door for Hank.  
  
“I listened to Nick.  Now I'd like to listen to the captain's side of things.”  
  
“Come in.”  She led him to where Sean was still sitting.  
  
“Is it true?”  
  
“I would say yes but I don't know what Nick told you.”  
  
“That Adalind was working for you when she made the potion to make me fall in love with her.”  
  
“It is true that she was working for me.”  
  
“Why?  Why did you want me to fall in love with her so badly?  I nearly died from what I've been told.”  
  
“Are you going to hear me out?”  Sean's voice trembled slightly as he felt like he was once again under attack for things that he was never allowed to explain.  
  
“I came here so I could hear your side.  I've known you a long time, Captain.  I will give you the benefit of the doubt.”  
  
“Grimms generally don't take kindly to royals, and they don't take to Zauberbiests any better than they do to Hexenbiests.  Before he found out what I was, I wanted him to be firmly on my side.  I thought the best way to ensure that was through you.  I did not tell her to alter the Zaubertrank so that it would kill you.”  
  
“What about this letter Nick found?  Do you think Adalind wrote it?”  
  
“She may have, or she may have been coerced.”  He handed the paper to Hank.  “I didn't want Adalind to drive a wedge between you and Nick so maybe she wrote that as a clue.”  
  
“Or maybe she just figured Nick would be too shocked and angry to care about the truth.”  
  
“The truth is that had I not enlisted Adalind to make that potion a lot of grief could have been avoided.”  
  
“All the things she did after that, was she still working for you?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Then it wasn't your fault.  All the things she blames on you in this letter were her own doing.”  
  
“Be that as it may, Nick has chosen to believe Adalind's interpretation of events.”  
  
“I am sorry, Captain.  I know Nick was staying here so--”  
  
“I'm fine.”  
  
“If you need my help, call me anytime,” Hank told Elizabeth since Sean apparently had found his pride.  “I'll be here if you need me, and I'll be here if your stubborn son needs me.”  
  
That at least managed to make Sean smile a bit.  “Thank you, Hank.  I do appreciate it.”

 

* * *

 

“When I proposed to Juliette, she turned me down,” Nick said as he sat in Monroe's car trying to gather the courage to go to Sean's door.    
  
“The Captain isn't Juliette and no one is talking about marriage.  The sooner you go up there and talk, the better off you'll be.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Nick still made no attempt to get our of the car.  “You want me to go in with you?” Monroe asked.  
  
“No, but would you mind waiting?  It'll save me having to call you for a ride when he tosses me out.”  
  
“Ok, just stop already.  Pull on your big boy pants, go up there and talk.  We all do stupid things but go apologize and move forwards.”  
  
“Right.”  Finally the passenger door opened and Nick stepped out.  “Go home to Rosalee.  I've got this.”  
  
“You sure?  Because I don't mind hanging around for a bit just to be sure.”  
  
“I'm sure.  Give Rosalee my best.”  
  
Once Monroe had driven off, Nick took a deep breath, walked up to the door and remembered that he had put his key through the mail slot.  Nothing to be done about that now.  He pushed the buzzer and hoped that Elizabeth wouldn't kill him on the spot.


	9. Chapter 9

When the buzzer rang, Elizabeth had mixed feelings at finding Nicholas Burkhardt at the door. She opened the door up but blocked entry, certain that the Grimm wouldn't be so stupid as to try and push past her.  
  
“Why have you come back?”  
  
“I just wanted to tell Sean...and you...that I was wrong and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I said or taken out all of my anger on him. I don't blame him for Juliette or for my mother's death. That wasn't his doing. I just...I really need him to know that I don't blame him.”  
  
“He may not forgive you.”  
  
“I didn't come here for forgiveness. I just came to tell him that I was wrong and that it wasn't his fault. None of it was his fault.”  
  
“I had a feeling you would be back. Come in.” Her tone was a little warmer and she gave him a smile as she motioned him inside and shut the door. “Hank just left and I was going to fix us something to eat. Will you join us?”  
  
“If it's all right with Sean.”  
  
Sean was still sitting on the sofa though his left leg was propped up on the coffee table. “Come back to collect your things?”  
  
“I came to say that I was wrong, and I'm sorry for earlier.”  
  
“You're sorry?”  
  
“I don't expect forgiveness, in fact I didn't come here for that. I just wanted to tell you that I don't blame you.”  
  
Sean seemed to consider it for a moment, then nodded his head. “I accept your apology.”  
  
“I'll just--”  
  
“Stay with us and eat,” Elizabeth said before he could say he was leaving.  
  
“Do you want to stay, Nick?” Sean asked.  
  
“Yes, but only if you want me to.”  
  
“I do.” Sean relaxed and smiled at Nick. “My mother said that I shouldn't give up. I guess she was right.”  
  
“I'm your mother, I'm always right,” Elizabeth remarked as she walked past the sofa towards the kitchen. “Bit late for french toast but I can boil some water and fix pasta.”  
  
“What time is Ava coming over?”  
  
“I can call and ask her to come by tomorrow.”  
  
“She's not going to be in town forever, you know.”  
  
“She'll be here a few more days, I'm sure.”  
  
“I want to see her and meet her husband.”  
  
“You and Nick have a lot to work through and I really think you could both use some peace and quiet for the rest of the day and night. Ava can come by tomorrow.”  
  
Sean finally conceded. “You're right, we do have a lot to work through. I just don't want to miss this chance. It's been too long.”  
  
“I know, and I'm looking forward to seeing her again too.”  
  
“Hank stopped by,” Sean said when his mother was in the kitchen.  
  
“I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have--”  
  
“It's all right, Nick. I talked, he listened, and we're good. I just need to know, how many other people did you tell?”  
  
“No one.” Nick put his head down, ashamed. “I didn't tell anyone else. Monroe knows because he was there when I found the letter and when I accused you...no one else knows.”  
  
“Good. I know you were hurt and I should have told you sooner about Adalind working for me in the beginning but...”  
  
“But you were scared?”  
  
Sean looked away and heaved a sigh. “Yes, I was. I wanted you on my side and I was afraid if you knew that Adalind had been working for me you would consider me the enemy.”  
  
“I admit that I probably would have reacted badly. That's part of the reason why I'm here, because I can't blame you for not telling me when I know that I wouldn't have handled it well. The fact remains that I know who and what you are, and I still care about you very much. I realized something else when I was packing up all of my belongings.”  
  
“Why were you packing?”  
  
“I was so angry that I couldn't imagine there being an 'us' anymore, and I couldn't bear staying in Portland and staying away from you.”  
  
“You were really going to leave?”  
  
“I was. I still love Juliette, and a part of me will always love her, but not the same way that I once did. I think that if something good can come from all of this, then I can go on. You and I are that something good. As much as I wish I could go back in time and change things, I'm glad that at least I'm able to care about you.”  
  
Sean looked away, trying to blink back tears that were threatening. “If you're going to say sappy shit like that, you can at least sit by me so we can cuddle.”  
  
Nick chuckled but took the invitation and sat down. “I didn't realize Zauberbiests cuddled,” he teased.  
  
“I'll blame it entirely on the drugs my mother insists I take every six hours."  He finally looked at Nick.  "When you left, when my mother found the key I'd given you, it felt like my world fell apart into so many pieces I could never pick them back up.”  
  
“I'm so sorry.”  
  
“It wasn't easy for me to admit to myself that I cared about you. Showing affection doesn't exactly come easily. Letting myself care about someone is even harder but...well, I didn't really have much of a choice in that. I fell in love with you some time ago but you were in love with Juliette and I accepted that I would never be more than your boss at the precinct and a source of information about the world of Royals and Wesen. When I thought I was going to die in the parking garage, I knew what I wanted more than anything. I wanted you to say that we could be more than that, that there was a place for me in your life. I don't have friends, I have acquaintances and colleagues and people that I used. I used Adalind and her mother, I toyed with affections and used people to satisfy my own wants and needs but I never really cared. People were like commodities.”  
  
“I know that's not true. You remember when Oleg Stark came after Hank?”  
  
“I remember.”  
  
“You're never going to convince me or Hank that you didn't genuinely care about everyone's safety during that time.”  
  
“What do you want to do about Adalind?” Sean asked, almost afraid to bring it up.  
  
“I don't know. If she did write that letter than I'd say goodbye and good riddance but...”  
  
“But you don't think she did?”  
  
“Or if she did, she was coerced.”

* * *

  
“Rise and shine, Ms. Schade. Today is going to be a big day.”  
  
Adalind opened her eyes and looked around. _Am I hallucinating? Is there actually someone here?_ “Hello?” she called out.  
  
“Ah, Ms. Schade, you are awake.” A small man, maybe 4 feet tall, pushed the bedroom door opened and came in. “Well don't just lie there, get up. I told you we have a big day today.”  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
“Who I am isn't important. You wouldn't remember even if I told you. I found someone to create a Auswischen Zaubertrank. You don't remember yesterday or most of the days since you've been here, nor will you remember today or tomorrow. Come now, there's isn't much time. The letter you wrote worked briefly but it seems you didn't make the potion strong enough for the Grimm's love to turn to hate. You'll do better with today's project or I'll cut that baby out of your belly and use it to create a potion you won't want to see the results of.”  
  
“I don't understand what you want from me. I'm not a Hexenbiest anymore.”  
  
“That might have worked on those dim-witted friends of yours, but you and I both know that you are still a Hexenbiest and as soon as you give birth your powers will stop being suppressed.”  
  
“How do you know so much about Hexenbiests and suppressants anyway?”  
  
“If you don't get out of that bed and do as I say, you're going to find out the most painful way for a Hexenbiest to die. And it will be a very slow death, I promise you.”  
  
Very confused and very, very frightened, Adalind got out of the bed, found she was wearing a gown that she didn't remember putting on, and followed the man.  
  
_He must be a Zauberbiest, or employed by one, to know so much about potions and spells. I wish I knew what letter he was talking about and how it was supposed to work. Nick, please find me. For your son's sake, please find me._

* * *

  
“Nick did what?”  
  
Monroe sat down next to her on the loveseat and handed her a cup of coffee. “I can't really blame him for being upset, finding a letter from Adalind saying that she was working for Sean back when everything started.”  
  
“Do you think it's true?”  
  
“I asked him and he said that Adalind was following his orders. Well, those weren't his exact words but yeah, it's true. Then Nick took off and I didn't know where he was because I gave him a ride to his house and took him back to the captain's place but apparently he caught a taxi and then rented an SUV. He packed up his stuff and was going to just take off.”  
  
“I'm beginning to think that Nick might be just as much of a lost cause as Juliette was.” It pained Rosalee to say that; she and Juliette had been as close as sisters before... _before_.  
  
“He came to his senses and realized that it wasn't entirely Sean's fault. Adalind has a mind of her own and she took it upon herself to get revenge more than once.”  
  
“Have you ever thought about leaving Portland?”  
  
“Leave Portland? Why would we want to leave Portland? This is our home.”  
  
Rosalee set her cup on the end table. “Honey, you know that I love our friends but as long as Nick and the captain keep needing our help – and they will – we will never be able to start a family or just enjoy our life together. Even our wedding was upended by their drama.”  
  
“Are you seriously going to blame them for what happened? I doubt the captain got himself shot just to draw attention to himself.”  
  
Hearing the hurt in her husband's voice, she leaned closer and cupped his cheek with her hand. “I'm not blaming them. I'd just like a break from the death and destruction that follows them around.”  
  
“They were the ones that saved me, remember?”  
  
“Of course I remember. I also remember that Juliette nearly killed you with Nick's gun while Nick was holding it. I remember that we were barely through the front door from our honeymoon when Nick was dragging you off to help him. I just wish he was a little less...”  
  
“Needy?” Monroe offered with a slight smile. “I get your point, I do, but--”  
  
“I was going to say dependent on us. I'm glad he's the kind of Grimm he is but he needs to learn how to depend on himself. I know that sounds horrible after everything that he's been through but--”  
  
“Hey, we all went through it. There's nothing wrong with wanting us to have more time to ourselves but I think Nick's going to be ok. Honestly after all that's happened, I don't think--”  
  
“Don't jinx it,” Rosalee said with a laugh. “I remember Juliette saying that.” The humor was gone in an instant and Rosalee's eyes filled with tears. “The day before our wedding was the last normal, happy day we all had together.”  
  
“Come here,” Monroe told her as he gathered her in his arms. “Hold onto the memories of Juliette when she was Juliette. She just wanted us to be happy and I think the best way to honor her friendship is to do just that. We'll do whatever it takes for us to have a happy life together.”  
  
An insistent knock at the front door made them put their foreheads together. “That better not be Nick,” Rosalee joked.  
  
Monroe got up to open the door with Rosalee right behind him. They both gasped when they saw their visitor.  
  
“Adalind?” Rosalee finally managed to get out, still shocked to see the pregnant blonde standing at their front door.  
  
“I know I should have called first but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you...well, trusting me after all of the horrible things that I had done. I know we'll never be friends but I just wanted to give you a little token of my appreciation. You could have horrible to me and you weren't. Thank you.” She held out a box of cranberry scones. “I didn't bake these, my baking days are over. These came from bakery about a block from the Pearl.”  
  
“Where have you been? Nick's been looking for you ever since the explosion,” Monroe told her, eyeing the box. It was sealed and the foil had the name of the bakery which he recognized, but something still told him not to trust it or its contents.  
  
“What explosion? Why would Nick be looking for me? I thought I explained everything in the letter I left for him.”  
  
“I really thought you had changed,” Rosalee said, taking the box of scones from Monroe and thrusting them back at Adalind.  
  
“What is it? I left him a letter to tell him that I was going to California to visit an old college friend. She suggested I get away while I can before the baby's born so we went to a bed and breakfast in Monterey. Why is that upsetting you?”  
  
“You went to California?”  
  
“Yes, Monroe, I went to California. And what explosion are you talking about? I didn't hear anything about an explosion.”  
  
“I apologize. Please, come in.” Rosalee grabbed Adalind's arm and brought her inside the house and over to the sofa while Monroe shut and locked the door. “A lot has happened. Sit down and I'll tell you about it as best as I can.”


	10. Chapter 10

“This is impossible. I was only gone for a few days.”

“You were gone when the bomb exploded. That was over a week ago,” Rosalee explained. “What was the name of the bed and breakfast you stayed at? We can call to confirm what days you were there.”

“I don't know, it was a place my friend chose. She made the reservations.”

“Then what is your friend's name? Can you call her to verify what days you were gone?”

“Of course, it's right...” Adalind had pulled her phone from her purse but as she scrolled through her contacts she frowned. “It's not here. How can it not be here?”

“Calm down,” Monroe said when he could see that Adalind was becoming upset. “You would have bought some things, right? Did you use cash or pay with a card?”

Her brow wrinkled and she frowned even more. “I don't remember buying anything. What happened to me? Why would someone take me and wipe my memories?”

“Adalind, you need to calm down. Getting upset isn't good for the baby,” Rosalee gently said.

“Do you think they did something to my baby?” She put a hand protectively on her stomach.

“We'll figure this out, but first we have to let Nick know that you're here and that you and the baby are ok.” Monroe walked into the kitchen as he pulled out his phone.

“The only note was the one on his front door,” Rosalee explained. “The one saying that you gave Hank those cookies that nearly killed him because you were doing Sean's bidding.”

“I don't remember writing anything like that. I would never do that, it will only make them hate me more and the last thing I want is Sean kicking me out of his house.”

“I know, and that's why we will figure this out.”

“Adalind is here,” Monroe said from the kitchen. “She seems fine but she doesn't remember writing that letter you found. She thinks she's been gone a few days but can't recall the name of the place where she went or how to contact the friend she believes she went to visit. I really think you should get over here.”

* * *

Nick looked at Sean and felt torn. If Adalind really hadn't written the letter than he wanted to see for himself that she and his unborn son were all right. Even if she had done it, he felt like he needed to be sure his son was safe. He didn't want to leave Sean, though.

“Go,” Sean said as though he could read Nick's mind.

“You are more important.”

“She's carrying your child, and I don't believe she would write that letter. She was living with me until all of this happened, and she had to know that I would kick her out if she told you about her working for me. Something is going on here and you need to go see Adalind.”

“Nick, you still there?” Monroe asked after the long pause in their conversation.

“I'll be right over.”

“Ok, we'll see you then.”

After ending the call, Nick turned to Elizabeth. “Will you--”

“I have no intention of leaving this house so go. I can call Ava and see if she still wants to come over. No one is going to hurt Sean, I promise you.”

“Someone might come after Nick, though. I'd really feel better if you went with him, Mother.”

“No way. Monroe and Rosalee are there with Adalind. I want your mother staying here with you.”

“Nick, go to Adalind. Sean and I will be fine here.”

* * *

“Nick, am I glad to see you,” Monroe said as he let his friend in. “Adalind is with Rosalee in the kitchen.”

“How is she?”

“She seems fine other than the screwed up memories.”

“Nick, is that you?” Adalind's voice called.

He walked into the kitchen and felt relieved to see that Adalind sitting at the table drinking tea. “Hello Adalind.”

“Nick.”

“Where have you been?”

“I thought I was in Monterey with a friend.”

“Can you tell us anything about the place you stayed, what you did, the friend you were with?”

“No. It's like the more I try to remember, the more it all fades away.”

“Could a potion do this? Is there a Wesen that can create false memories?”

“I don't know, Nick,” Rosalee answered. “It could be something along the lines of the Cratcher-Mortel, altering brain chemistry in a way that false memories are created.”

“We should get you to the doctor to be sure that you and the baby are both all right.”

“What about the explosion? Is Sean ok?” Adalind asked.

“He's alive and healing. Can you call your doctor to see if we can come in?”

“You're really worried about your son, aren't you?”

“You've been gone for over a week and don't remember any of what actually happened to you. Yes, I'm concerned about the baby, and about you.”

* * *

“Ava, it's Elizabeth. I know I asked you to postpone coming over to see Sean until tomorrow but I was wondering if you might still want to come over for a visit.”

“ _Christian is meeting with some people and won't be back for a few hours but I can come over. Is everything ok?”_

“Yes. Something just came up and now it's just Sean and I here. It's been a rough week and I think visiting with you would be a welcome distraction.”

“ _I can be there in twenty minutes. Is there anything I can pick up on the way?”_

“No. Are your boys with you?”

“ _Yes, but the last thing you and Sean need is that pair of demon cats running wild in the house. I'll see you soon.”_

“Are they coming over?” Sean asked, hating that he was stuck on the sofa.

“Ava is. Christian is meeting with some people and she doesn't want to inflict the children on us.”

“I can't believe she's married and has children of her own.”

“She grew up.”

“I have missed her. I never knew that her mother became a doctor.”

“She was a doctor when we were in Russia.”

“Is that why you made potions for her?”

“I'm sorry, Sean, but that is really something that I can't discuss with you. Perhaps one day, but not now.”

Sean looked sullen and nodded, wondering what his mother was hiding from him.

* * *

“It's so good to see you again,” Elizabeth said as she hugged the blonde woman at Sean's door. “Come in, Sean has been looking forward to your visit.”

“You don't have to make it sound like we're having a playdate,” Sean said as he came towards them on crutches.

“You are supposed to be keeping weight off of that leg as much as possible.”

“That doesn't mean I need to sit on my ass 24 hours a day.”

Ava set down the bags she was carrying and carefully hugged Sean. “I'm so glad to see you.”

“If only I'd known that all it took was nearly getting blown up to get you here.”

“Don't even joke about that,” she said, pulling back. “You should listen to your mother. I'm really a spy for your doctor you know. Also, I brought a _honningkage_ and I'm not afraid to use it as a bribe.”

“Did you make it?”

“Do you think they sell it at Ikea?”

“Smart ass,” he said as he turned back to the sofa.

“This was very kind of you,” Elizabeth said as she took the honeycake from Ava. “I hadn't even thought about this for so long.”

“How have you been Ava?”

“Good, I've been really good. I love my family more than anything.”

“I was very sorry to hear about Jon. I know that the two of you were close.”

“Thank you. It was a terrible accident.”

“How long are you going to be in Portland?”

“A few months. You and your mother must come over for dinner once you've got the cast off. We've rented a house near Hamilton Park.”

“Is your mother staying there with you?” Elizabeth asked after she'd gone through the bags Ava had given her.

“Yes. She's loving having so much time with her grandsons.”

“Well once this cast is off I will definitely be taking you up on the offer for dinner,” Sean said.

“Good. I hope you'll bring Nick as well. My mother spoke very highly of him.”

Sean suddenly felt the urge to change the subject. He had barely wrapped his own head around the idea that he cared for Nick and Nick cared for him. “I'm sorry, but...”

“I wasn't trying to imply anything. Mom just said that he was nice and that he was very determined your family wasn't going to hurt you again. It sounded like he was a good friend to you so I wanted to extend the invitation for dinner to him as well. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”

He was spared from trying to respond to that by his phone ringing. “Excuse me,” he said when he picked it up from the table and saw that it was Nick. “Hey, everything ok?”

“ _Not really. Adalind is in labor. We're at the hospital.”_

“I can have my mother drive me there.”

“ _You need to stay home where I know you'll be safe. I just wanted you to know what was going on. I don't know when I'll be home.”_

“You shouldn't be there alone. I'm coming to the hospital and that's final. How is Adalind?”

“ _Either she's an excellent liar, which we already know she is, or someone has erased her memory._ _I'll explain more when I get home because you are not coming here. The last thing you need is to try maneuvering in and out of a car and walking through the hospital. Now please just stay there, and I'll call if there's any news.”_

“I don't like this.”

“ _I'll feel better if I don't have to worry about you falling. You've barely begun to heal; don't push it.”_

“Fine, but please call later so I know what's going on.”

“Maybe I should go,” Ava said when Sean ended the call and put his phone down. “Obviously there's a lot going on and I don't want to interrupt.”

“You should stay,” Elizabeth told her. “Sean, I'll go to the hospital and make sure everything is all right with Nick and Adalind and the baby.”

“I can stay as long as you need me to.”

“Medication is on the nightstand by the bed. He'll probably need a pain pill in about two hours.”

“I'm right here, Mother.”

“Don't worry, I've got two stubborn sons of my own. We'll be fine and I'll make sure he takes his medication.”

“I'll call you with any news,” Elizabeth said as she kissed Sean's cheek. “You two have a good visit.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Elizabeth, what are you doing here?” Nick asked, standing up when he saw her come into the waiting room. “Where's Sean?”

“He's at home. Ava came over and she's staying with him. He's fine.”

“Then why--”

“Sean was worried about you. I told him I would come here to make sure you and Adalind are all right. Where is Adalind?”

“They took her up to surgery. The baby was breach so they want to do a cesarean.”

“Well you shouldn't be here by yourself. I thought Monroe or Rosalee would be here with you.”

“They are, they just went to the cafeteria to get something to drink. They should be back soon. Are you sure Sean will be all right with her?”

“He'll be fine. She has an excellent security detail of her own and when I left they had the outside of the house completely covered. No one is getting into that house except for you and I unless Ava allows it.”

“It's been so long since they've seen each other though, she's like a stranger. After everything that he's been through--”

“Ava knows nothing about what happened with Jack. Even though it was out of his control, he still feels guilt. He's afraid that it could happen again. You and Hank found him about to kill that woman. You handcuffed him. Jack had gone back and Sean had to deal with that.”

“I guess I don't really think about it.”

“I think it will do him good to hear about her life instead of thinking about his own.”

“Mr. Burkhardt?”

“I'm Nick Burkhardt,” he said, turning to see the nurse.

“Everyone is fine. You can come back and see Ms. Schade and the baby now.”

“Go on, Nick. I'll call Sean and let him know what's going on.”

* * *

“You don't have to stay,” Sean said when Ava handed him a plate of food and sat beside him.

“As if I would leave you on your own right now. Your mother would kill me.”

“No she wouldn't.”

“I'm not taking any chances and besides, you shouldn't be alone. “

“I think I should be insulted by that, but I'm grateful for the company.”

“Eat, and then you should take your pills.”

“I don't need the pills.”

“Yes you do, and you're taking them.”

“Now you sound like my mother.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn't a compliment.”

“Yes it was.”

Sean was about to say something else when his phone rang. “Mother? Is everything all right?”

“ _Everything is fine. Adalind had the baby and Nick is in with them now.”_

“So the baby is fine?”

“ _Yes, he is. Sean, do you need me to come back?”_

“No, Ava's here and we're fine. You should be there for Nick. I feel better knowing that you're there with him.”

“ _All right, but call if you need anything, and I'll call if anything changes. I love you, Sean.”_

It caught him off guard and made him feel slightly uneasy, like she knew something that he didn't. “I love you too. Please be careful.” The call ended and he put the phone back on the table.

“What's wrong? Is it the baby?”

“No, the baby's fine.” He looked up and saw the concern in Ava's eyes. “I need to ask a favor.”

“Of course, anything.”

“Go to the hospital. I know you have the royal guard protecting you and where you go, they go. Find Nick and my mother and stay with them. I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen.”

“I'm not leaving you alone. Your family tried to blow you up, remember?”

“I'm not likely to forget it anytime soon.”

“Your mother is a force to be reckoned with. They'll be all right.”

“I wish I could believe that.”

“I'll call my mother and ask her to go to the hospital and stay with your mother. The two of them together should be enough to scare off anyone.”

He finally smiled at that suggestion. “Thanks for not telling me I shouldn't worry.”

“You're welcome. I'll go make that call while you finish your sandwich. When you're done we'll get down to the business of catching up on our lives.”

* * *

“I got here as soon as I could,” Hank said when he saw Elizabeth in the waiting room. “Any news?”

“They did a cesarean. Nick is in with Adalind and the baby now.”

“No Monroe or Rosalee?”

“Nick said they went to the cafeteria for drinks but I thought they would have been back by now.”

“Let me try calling them.” When Hank dial both of their phones and got put straight into voice mail, he frowned. "I suppose they may have turned their phones off,” he said, nodding towards the sign asking that cell phones not be used.

“Something has happened. Do you mind going down to the cafeteria to see if they're there?”

“Yeah, I'll go find them.”

“Thank you.”

“Hank?” Nick was walking towards them, a big smile on his face. “I didn't expect you to come here.”

“With all that's gone down recently, did you really think I would _not_ be here to keep an eye on you? How's Adalind and the baby?”

“They're both fine. Adalind is sleeping, the baby is...he's perfect. All his fingers and toes and the doctor says he's healthy, good strong heart and lungs.” He turned to Elizabeth. “You should go home to Sean. Things are fine here.”

“I understand you wanting to stay here and protect your son, and I'm not about to break the promise I made to my son. I'm staying right here.”

“I'll be staying as well,” Dr. Eldensen said as she came closer. “I understand you have a healthy baby boy, Detective.”

“Let me guess, Ava called you,” Elizabeth said, smiling.

“Sean was worried and wanted Ava to come here. She called and asked if I would hang out instead.”

“Having a baby is tiring work so why don't you go home and I'll stay with Adalind and the baby. No one is going to hurt your son, I will see to that.”

“I'll stay here and keep an eye on things,” Hank offered. “Monroe and Rosalee are bound to be back soon anyway. You should both go home. The last thing the captain needs is to be worrying when he should be resting.”

“I'll stay with Hank, and I promise that I will call if there is even a hint that something might happen,” Dr. Eldensen told Nick and Elizabeth.

“Where did Monroe and Rosalee go to get drinks anyway? They should have been back.”

“I was just going to look for them. You and Elizabeth go home, ok?” Hank told them. “Dr. Eld--”

“Marisa,” she said. “After all this time we should be on a first name basis. Yes, I will stay with Adalind and the baby while you go find your friends.”

“We should wait until you--”

“Nick, get home to the captain. He needs you.”

“I'm pretty sure he understands why I want to be here. We don't even know where Adalind has been or who she was with. We don't know who planted the explosives and tried to kill Sean--”

”All the more reason why you should be at home with him, or have you forgotten what happened not that long ago when you found Adalind's alleged letter.”

“We worked that out.”

“It still hurt him, and no one gets over that kind of hurt right away. If you really do love him, Nick, you need to go home and show him that.”

“Love advice from the man that has been married how many times?”

“Shut up and just go. We'll make sure your son and Adalind are all right.”

“I'm sure Elizabeth has reassured you how safe Sean is while Ava is there. Adalind and the baby are just as safe while Elizabeth and I are here,” Marisa tried to reassure Nick. “I can ask Christian to have someone watch them when I'm not here and I know that he would.”

“I'm not trusting their safety to someone I haven't even met.”

“Surely you noticed the extra presence around when Sean was in the hospital. Who do you think did that?”

“Nick, please go home to Sean. I promise we'll stay close to Adalind and the baby and let you know if anything changes.”


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as Nick saw Sean sleeping on the sofa he felt an overwhelming need to rush over and make sure the captain was all right.

“You must be Nick.”

He saw an unfamiliar blonde woman coming out of the kitchen and felt a little better knowing that Sean hadn't been left all alone in the house. “You must be Ava.”

“Guilty as charged. It's nice to meet you. My mother speaks very highly of you.”

“Thanks. It's nice to meet you too. How long has he been asleep?”

“Not long. He took a pain pill about twenty minutes ago and then said he was feeling sleepy. I would have helped get him into the bedroom but I was afraid he'd lose his balance. Hey, is everything ok with the baby?”

“Yeah, no, everything's good with Adalind and the baby. Elizabeth said that I should come home and be with Sean. We had a bit of a...rough patch.” He smiled a bit as he looked at Sean. His captain looked very relaxed and comfortable sprawled on the sofa, pillows under his casted leg and a blanket pulled up under his chin. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

“Of course. Are you hungry? I can make you a meatball sandwich and there's potato salad.”

Nick's phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. “I'd better take this. Excuse me.” He moved back to the front door and saw that the call was from Hank. “Hey, what's going on?”

“There's no sign of Monroe or Rosalee. Monroe's car is still in the parking garage. Wu is here in the security room looking through the footage to see if there's any sign of them. How's the captain?”

“Sleeping. Is Elizabeth or Marissa around?”

“Elizabeth is here. Just a second, I'll pass you over.”

“Nick, is Sean all right?” Elizabeth asked a moment later.

“He's fine, just sleeping. Do the pain pills usually make him fall asleep?”

“Yes. That's why he doesn't like taking them. It's also been an emotionally draining day for him so I'm not surprised that he fell asleep.”

“I should come back there and help look for Monroe and Rosalee.”

“Marissa and I will help Hank look for your friends. You need to stay there and focus on taking care of Sean. If everything goes well, Adalind and the baby will be released from the hospital in the morning.”

“Do you want to bring them here?”

“If you would be willing to share the guest room with Sean.”

“I suppose I could make that sacrifice, but it should be Sean's decision. He may not want that.”

“Of course, but I doubt he is going to say no. We can discuss it when she is discharged. I'm going to look for Monroe and Rosalee. You take care of Sean and yourself. Maybe let Ava take care of you while she's there. I'll see you later.”

“All right. Be safe.”

When the call ended Nick went back to the sofa to check Sean. The Captain was still asleep, still breathing and seemed to be the correct temperature when Nick felt his forehead.

“So, do you think he'll live?” Ava asked as she offered him a sandwich on a plate.

“Thanks. And thank you for staying with Sean.”

“You don't have to thank me. He's family to me.”

“If you want to get back to your kids--”

“My children are just fine and greatly enjoy their Mommy-free time. I'm sure you want to be alone with Sean and that's fine. I'm going to be in the kitchen fixing dinner so it's one less thing you have to worry about. I know it bothered you to find him sleeping down here so for your peace of mind, I want to stay, at least until Elizabeth gets back.”

“Thanks. I should get cleaned up.” Nick made no effort to move beyond sitting on the coffee table, plate still in his hand.

“Maybe you should eat that first. I can put a pot of coffee on if you want some.”

“Sorry, I forgot I even had this.”

“You've got a lot on your mind. If there is anything at all that I can do, you only have to ask.”

He looked again to his sleeping captain. It did bother him a great deal that the man was sleeping so soundly, oblivious to everything around him. If Sean hated feeling vulnerable in the hospital then he would despise what the painkillers were doing to him. “I think maybe I'll stay here with him for a while. And coffee would be nice, thanks.”

 

* * *

 

 “I've got something,” Wu said, talking to Hank on the phone. “Security footage caught Monroe and Rosalee leaving the cafeteria on the lower level, then they head into an elevator. That's where it all goes to hell. You need to come down here and see this for yourself.”

A few minutes later Hank was viewing the security footage with Wu. Monroe and Rosalee entered the elevator, and then suddenly the image blurred out. When it cleared, Monroe and Rosalee were unconscious on the floor and there were two men in the elevator standing over them.

“I know it was blurred but it didn't look like the elevator doors opened.”

“They didn't. The system keeps a log of the elevator movements and the doors don't open until the elevator goes to the sub-basement.”

As Wu pointed to the screen the elevator doors opened and the two men picked up Monroe and Rosalee like rag dolls. A vehicle appeared to pull up right outside the elevator doors, and a side door was opened so that the unconscious couple could be deposited inside. After the doors closed and the vehicle pulled away, a very short man with curly, dark blond hair stepped into the elevator. He looked right at the camera, smiled, and waved a flag, then walked out of the elevator.

“Was that...?”

“I think it was the flag of Denmark. He certainly wanted it and himself to be seen.” Hank chewed at his lip as he backed up the footage and froze it on the smiling man and the Danish flag. “The Scandinavian royal family is from Denmark, and the Crown Prince is here in Portland with his wife, the Princess Ava.”

“Ava, isn't her mother the Captain's doctor? The one who is here right now with the Captain's mother?”

“And Ava is at the Captain's house right now.”

“We have to call Nick and warn him.”

“We have to be careful about this. Elizabeth trusts Ava and Marissa, and I doubt she would trust them without good reason.”

“What if Ava and her husband are the targets? Him waving a Danish flag could mean that's who he's after,” Wu offered.

“We need to tell Elizabeth about this, let her watch the footage and see what she thinks. Maybe she'll recognize the guy.”

 

* * *

 

 “I don't understand what anyone would hope to accomplish by kidnapping me and then letting me go. It doesn't make any sense,” Adalind said. Elizabeth was sitting in the chair beside the bed while Adalind breastfed the baby.

“All that matters is that you and your son are healthy and safe.”

“But are we? I was kidnapped and don't even remember it. The person responsible could be literally anyone.”

“The suppressant will wear off and once you have your Hexenbiest powers back you won't be an easy target.”

“Oh god, what if I took the suppressant again while I was kidnapped? What if I've made it permanent?”

“It takes a very skilled apothecary or Hexenbiest to make the suppressant, and we both know that it is not easy to find the decomposed body of a Hexenbiest. I think the odds of that happening are very small.”

“Are you still looking for Diana?”

“I will never stop looking for my grand-daughter.”

“I hope you find her. I hope that she's safe, and that's being taken care of.”

“I will find her, and when I do I will let you know. I can't promise that I will bring her to you, but I will let you know when she is safe in my care.”

“Thank you. I know that you wouldn't let anything happen to her. I just...” She looked down at the baby who had finished nursing and was now asleep in her arms. “I've missed so much with her, and I'm afraid she doesn't even remember me.”

“She knows who her parents are. I do believe that.”

“Hey, can I talk to you?” Hank asked, sticking his head in Adalind's room. “We've got something.”

“Go on, we'll be fine,” Adalind said, giving Elizabeth a smile.

“I'll be right outside this door,” Wu said.

“All right,” Elizabeth conceded getting up from the chair to follow Hank out into the hallway.

“We found something on the security footage. We know who took Monroe and Rosalee and I'm hoping you'll recognize him. Where's Marisa?”

“Right here.” Marisa walked up to them, cup in hand. “I just went to grab some coffee. Has something happened?”

“Maybe you should both come with me and watch the footage.”

“Footage of what?”

“Better if you just come and watch it yourselves,” Hank replied. He was still tempted to call Nick and warn him, but he knew that Nick would insist on coming back to the hospital and the Captain needed him...especially if Ava was somehow tied to whoever took Monroe and Rosalee, and something told him that she was.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, but life has a tendency of raising its ugly head. Also my monitor was having issues but that's all been resolved so posting should be more frequently now.

“This is Jacob, cousin to Prince Christian,” Marissa said after watching the footage from the elevator. “I need to call Christian and let him know what has happened.”  
  
“Let me guess, another royal?” Hank asked. “What is it with these royals anyway?”  
  
“I'll explain on the way,” Elizabeth said.  
  
“The way where?”  
  
“Sean's house,” Marissa answered, coming back over to them once her call was over. “Christian is going to meet us there. He's calling Ava to let her know that we're on our way. We should get Adalind out of here as well, if she's up to leaving.”  
  
“I'll talk to her, you get whatever you think she'll need once we leave.”  
  
“What does this guy even want?” Hank shook his head and stared at the image of the man waving the Danish flag. “Whoever you are, you don't know who you're messing with,” he told the screen.

* * *

  
Nick hadn't even realized that he was falling asleep until he was jarred awake by the sound of a phone ringing and stopped his sandwich from sliding off his plate and onto Sean's white carpet.  
  
“Christian, is everything all right?”  
  
_“_ _Your mother called me. Are you still at Sean Renard's house?”_  
  
“Yes. What's wrong.”  
  
_“I'm on my way there. Your mother and Elizabeth are safe._ _Hold tight, if you see or hear anything you call Stephen. I'll explain everything when I get there.”_  
  
“The children?”  
  
_“_ _On their way to safety. Nothing will happen to our boys. Jeg elsker dig.”_  
  
“Jeg elsker også dig.”  
  
“What's wrong?” Nick asked, walking to her when she ended the call.  
  
“I don't know. Christian is on his way here, he says he'll explain everything.”  
  
“What about Elizabeth and your mother?”  
  
“He said my mother called him but I don't know if they are coming here or not. I trust my husband though.”  
  
“Don't take this personally, but I don't.” He pulled out his own phone and dialed Elizabeth.

* * *

  
“Nick, what is it? Has something happened?” Elizabeth asked, worried to be getting a call from the detective.  
  
_“_ _Ava got a call from her husband, and she said that he's on his way over here. Now I know something must have happened. Is it Monroe and Rosalee?”_  
  
“We shouldn't discuss this over the phone. You know what they say about the walls having ears.”  
  
_“_ _Is there anything I should do?”_  
  
“Try not to worry so much? We'll be there soon. Sean made sure that house has plenty of security. You're safe so long as you stay there.”  
  
_“_ _Should I wake Sean up?”_  
  
“So the two of you can worry together? Let him sleep. There will be plenty of time for you both to worry, I promise.”  
  
_“That doesn't sound very comforting.”_  
  
“You are safe, and Sean is safe. Christian should be on his way there, and I'll be there as soon as I can. Also, we're bringing Adalind and the baby with us. Everyone will be under one roof and then you won't need to worry.  
  
“This house isn't that big, you know.”  
  
“I'll see you soon.”  
  
“I know that look,” Marissa said as she and Hank approached Elizabeth standing outside Adalind's room. “Something is bothering you. What is it?”  
  
“It's nothing, Nick is just a little unsettled. I don't blame him, I'm asking him to trust in people he doesn't know. He's barely even met Ava. Have you got what we need to get out of here?”  
  
“Yes.” Marissa indicated the plastic bag, normally used to keep patients' personal effects. “I spoke to Adalind's doctor and while none of them are happy about her being discharged so soon, I assured them I would be there with her and that if there was any indication of a problem we'd get her back here. Someone should be along soon with a wheelchair and the discharge papers.”

* * *

  
Nick had resumed sitting on the coffee table, knowing that Sean would give him dirty looks for doing so if only the other man would wake up. He'd only eaten half of the sandwich Ava gave him, the other half sitting on the plate beside him until Ava came over and picked it up, wordlessly carrying it back into the kitchen where she either disposed of it or put it in the refrigerator. He didn't know and didn't particularly care at the moment.  
  
“Ava's husband, Prince Christian, is coming over so it would be nice if you would wake up,” he said softly, taking one of Sean's hands into his own. “At least you aren't cold, and you're breathing, but after everything that has happened could you please just wake up so I know that you're all right?”  
  
“I didn't think he would sleep this soundly,” Ava admitted. “I watched him and he only took one pill. The bottle says he's supposed to take two.”  
  
“Elizabeth wasn't too concerned about him sleeping but...I've never seen him sleep this soundly even when he was in the hospital. Elizabeth said they would be here soon. I'll feel better when she says that this is normal.  
  
“I'm glad he has you to care about him.”  
  
“So, any embarrassing childhood stories you'd like to share about him before he wakes up?”  
  
“Planning on blackmailing your captain, are you?”  
  
“No, it's just hard to imagine that he was ever a kid.”  
  
“I assure you, he was, though even at 10 years old he seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.”  
  
“The two of you were close?”  
  
Ava nodded. “Yes. He and Jon were always hanging out together and Jon...Jon seemed to think that it was his job to protect me so when Mom was out, I got drug along whenever he and Sean wanted to go somewhere.” Tears started to fall from her eyes and she wiped at them. “Sorry. I didn't think that talking about Jon would hurt so much.”  
  
“Sorry. I didn't mean to--”  
  
“You didn't do anything. It just hits me hard sometimes.” Her phone rang at that moment. “It's Christian,” she said before answering it. “Where are you?”  
  
_“At the front door. I wanted to call so you'd know it was me.”_  
  
“I'll let you in.”  
  
“Christian?” Nick asked.  
  
“Yes. So much for Sean making a good first impression,” she joked as she opened the door. “Get in here and tell me what's going on,” she told her husband, grabbing his arm to pull him inside.  
  
“Good to see you too, dear,” the man said, kissing her cheek.  
  
“Christian, this is Nick Burkhartd. Nick, this is my husband, Christian.”  
  
“I wish we were meeting under different circumstances. I assume our host is sleeping over there.”  
  
“Yes, that's Sean. Tell me what happened that you couldn't tell me on the phone.”  
  
“Jacob is here. He was at the hospital and took two people. I think that he's working for Sean's family.”  
  
“He has Monroe and Rosalee, doesn't he?” Nick asked.  
  
“Yes, he does. He won't hurt them though, that's not his style. He'll trade them for whatever it is House Kronenberg has promised him.”  
  
“You know what they've promised him, Christian. He wants our children.”  
  
“He isn't going to get anywhere near them. My parents chose the rental property they did for good reason. It is owned by a Swede who had it built when he went into hiding after some death threats. There's a safe room under the house. Even if Jacob manages to find the estate and get past the guards, he won't get into that safe room. That's where we should all go.”  
  
“First Sean needs to wake up,” Nick told them. “Something isn't right.”  
  
“I agree. Elizabeth should be here soon, and she and my mother will know what to do. You said Elizabeth wasn't worried about Sean being so sound asleep.”  
  
“She didn't seem to be. She said to let him sleep but--”  
  
“You know him, Nick. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, listen to it,” Ava said.  
  
Nick started to say that he had no idea what to do when he saw a brief flash out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he saw a young girl with blonde hair and instinctively he knew who she was. “Diana?”  
  
“Help my Daddy. Please, help him.”  
  
Nick turned away to look back at Sean. “Tell me how.”  
  
“How to what?” Christian asked.  
  
Nick looked to where the girl had been but she had vanished. “She's gone.”  
  
“Nick, are you all right?” Ava asked.  
  
“I don't know. I don't think I know what it is to be all right anymore.”

* * *

  
Monroe woke up first. He was lying on his side, hands cuffed behind his back and feet bound together with duct tape. He could see Rosalee a few feet away.  
  
“Rosalee!” he said, trying to keep his voice low enough that their captors wouldn't hear. “Rosalee, can you hear me?”  
  
“She won't wake up for a while. Your Fuchsbau is quite the fighter. One of my men had to shoot her with a tranquilizer dart. I hope you aren't going to make me have you shot.”  
  
“What do you want with us?” Monroe growled, craning his neck to see the man who was speaking.  
  
“It's Sean Renard's family that wants you. I'm going to give you to them, and in exchange they are going to give me what I want.”  
  
“So we're just something for you to barter with.”  
  
“That's how things work. If you behave, you won't be hurt. I have nothing personally against you, and I won't be giving you to the House of Kronenberg until I know that they have who I want. There's no way for you to get out of this apartment and no matter how loud you yell, no one will hear you. This is where I kept Adalind Schade.”  
  
“I don't suppose I could appeal to your better nature.”  
  
“Sorry, I don't have a better nature.”  
  
“Was it you that tried to kill the Captain?”  
  
“Bombs really aren't my thing. That was someone else.”  
  
“You know what they are going to do to us when you hand us over, right?”  
  
“A shame that some people are so brutal, but it's not my concern how the other families chose to handle their problems.”  
  
“Will you at least tell me who you are?”  
  
“Prince Jacob, rightful heir to the throne of House Roskilde. You and your wife are going to get me back what was taken from me.”

* * *

  
“What were you doing right before Sean fell asleep?” Elizabeth asked, checking her son over while Marissa took Adalind upstairs to rest and feed the baby in the master bedroom.  
  
“Talking about things we missed from Russia. He asked if I ever sang any of the old lullabies to my sons.”  
  
“And did you sing one for Sean?”  
  
“Yes. Are you saying I somehow sang him into a coma?”  
  
“He's not in a coma, Ava, but there is something that you need to know about. Something that we should have told you a long time ago but we were all hoping that it would never come up. It's time you knew about your father.”  
  
“Shouldn't my mother be the one to tell me about him?”  
  
“What game are you playing?” Christian asked, putting his arm around Ava to pull her closer to him. “Marissa would tell Ava about her father if she felt it was necessary.”  
  
“It is necessary,” Elizabeth said. “If you would rather hear about it from your mother then--”  
  
“I would. She always told me that no good could come from me knowing who he is, and I have always believed her.”  
  
“Elizabeth is right, you need to know the truth about who you are. Not just about your father, but about your mother,” Marissa said as she came down the stairs.  
  
“You're my mother.”  
  
“I have loved you like my own flesh and blood, but I didn't give birth to you.”  
  
“Why are you telling me this now?”  
  
“I had hoped to never tell you. I do love you Ava, with all my heart.”  
  
“Why does Sean's mother know?”  
  
“It's a long story. Ava, please, let's just sit down and I'll tell you everything.”  
  
“Oh god, Elizabeth is my mother isn't she?”  
  
“No, I'm not,” Elizabeth said. “Not that I wouldn't have loved to have a daughter like you but I am not your mother. That would have been a bit much to keep hidden all these years. And no, you and Sean don't share a father. Your biological parents were good people, Ava.”  
  
“I'm going to check on Adalind,” Nick said, grateful that he had an excuse to flee the scene. He trusted Elizabeth to keep Sean safe and he really didn't want to watch the drama that he suspected was only going to get worse as it unfolded.


	14. Chapter 14

“What's going on down there?” Adalind asked when Nick came into the bedroom where she was lying down with the baby beside her.

“I don't know exactly. Don't really want to know.”

“Well is Sean all right?”

“I think so.” He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “I saw Diana.”

“Wait, what?” Adalind sat up, careful not to disturb their son. “You saw Diana?”

“She was there in the living room, and she said 'help my Daddy', and then she was gone. Maybe I imagined the whole thing but Sean said that he saw her while he was in the parking garage waiting to be blown up.”

“She must be close by if she knew that Sean was in danger. She could be here in Portland.”

“How's he doing?” Nick nodded towards the sleeping infant. “I'm sorry you had to leave the hospital so soon--”

“We're fine, and this isn't your fault. I hope you find Monroe and Rosalee.”

“So do I. I should probably head back downstairs but if there's anything you need, just ask.”

“Thank you, but I think half the hospital's supplies came with me.”

“Let me ask you something. Do you trust Dr. Eldensen?”

“Are you saying you don't?”

“No, I just...I want to be sure that I'm trusting the right people.”

“I trust Sean's mother to keep her son safe, and she trusts Marissa so I guess I trust her with Sean's safety. You don't think she's involved with what's going on, do you?”

“No. You should rest. I'll see you later.”

“I wish I could remember what happened to me and where I was. I really do want to help you find Monroe and Rosalee.”

“I know. Maybe the memories will come back.”

* * *

“Where's Hank and Wu?” Nick asked when he reached the dining room where Elizabeth was sitting.

“Hank decided to wait outside. I don't think he trusts the royal security. Sergeant Wu was going to try accessing traffic camera footage from outside the hospital around the time that Rosalee and Monroe were taken to see if he can find anything that might help us.”

“What about Christian and Ava?”

“They went home. Marissa is going to try to explain things. It's going to be a lot to take in.”

“So what did Ava do to Sean?”

Elizabeth sighed. “She didn't do it deliberately. Ava is a Siren, only she's been unknowingly taking a suppressant her entire life. It would seem the suppressant is no longer completely effective but Sean will be fine. He'll wake up on his own.”

“Ava is Wesen?”

“I may as well tell you the story. Ava's mother was a Siren in the employee of Sean's family. Sean's father wasn't the only one with an...appreciation for Wesen. Frederick liked Hexenbiests, and his youngest brother liked Sirens.”

“Ava's father is—”

“One of Sean's uncles, yes. Marissa was employed as a doctor for the royal family in Vienna and when Ava's mother and father were killed Marissa fled with Ava. That was when I knew that I had to take Sean and leave as well.”

“They killed Ava's father? But he was one of them.”

“He was a traitor in their eyes.”

“Sean doesn't know that he and Ava are cousins?”

“No. Not even Ava's brother Jon knew the truth but he always suspected that Sean's family was after Ava. Everyone brushed it off as Jon being paranoid but he was right and I suspect when he got too close to the truth he was killed.”

Nick and Elizabeth both heard the groan that came from the sofa, but neither of them was quick enough to stop Sean from sitting up and instinctively swinging his leg off the sofa, followed by a loud _thud_.  “I'm so sorry, I should have stayed with you,” Nick said as he sat on the sofa and found it surprisingly easy to gather Sean into his arms. 

“What happened?”

“Well, you woke up and seem to have forgotten about your leg being in a cast.”

“That really hurt.”

“Let's get you settled into bed then,” Elizabeth said.

“No, I don't want to go to bed.” He looked around, slightly confused. “Where's Ava? And when did you get here?”

“There's a lot I need to explain to you, but not until you are safely tucked into bed.”

* * *

“If you're going to send us to our deaths, you can at least tell us why you're doing it,” Monroe said. “And what did you need Adalind for?”

“My cousin's wife, Ava, is of royal blood. Her father was one of Sean Renard's uncles. She doesn't know, of course, and neither does Christian. Everyone who matters knows, though. Her sons have royal blood from two different houses. House Kronenberg doesn't want them alive and possibly one day uniting them with House Roskilde. I don't want them alive because when they and their father are dead, I will be the only possible heir to the throne of my house.”

“You would kill children?”

“No, that would be horrible. I'm not some child-killing monster. Don't you watch _Game of Thrones_?”

“Uh...no.”

“They don't have to actually be dead. The right people just have to believe that they are dead.”

“So you want to take from them what was taken from you.”

“The Renards are coming after them with or without me. I'm trying to get them out of the way and keep them alive.”

“What about Adalind. Why did you need her?”

“A potion. Zauberbiests are better alchemists than Hexenbiests, hence the name. Zauberbiest, Zaubertrank. Unfortunately some potions require the blood of a Hexenbiest.”

“So you have a Zauberbiest working for you?”

“Yes. A true Zauberbiest, not your half-breed Prince who probably couldn't do even the simplest of potions.”

“You know the Captain then?”

“I know him by reputation. I've often wondered if they have underestimated him, or if he has underestimated himself and never tried to be a zauberbiest.”

“I've seen him woge, I knew that--”

“Any Wessen can woge. Has Renard ever once displayed any Zauberbiest powers? Displayed simple telekinesis or even made a basic potion?”

Monroe never questioned why the captain didn't do any of the things that he would have expected of a zauberbiest, but then he'd never know any other zauberbiests. “Just because he tries not to draw attention to himself--”

“Have you seen his press conferences? The man couldn't try any harder to draw attention to himself.”

“You're wrong,” Rosalee said, sounding like she was still trying to wake up.

“Ah, what is it these Americans say? Another county heard from. Are you going to behave this time or shall I get the tranquilizer gun again?”

“Sean Renard has never tried to draw attention to himself from the Wesen world. Very few people know that he is Wesen or that he is a royal.”

“Yet I know both of those things about him, and I don't even live on this continent.”

“Go to hell.” Rosalee closed her eyes.

“I would think you'd be happy to be rid of a royal. Or did the rebel blood die with your brother?”

“You don't know anything.”

“Before he died, Freddy aided the Laufer when he wasn't busy selling human organs and Jay. His death really was senseless but not completely surprising given what he was dealing.”

“How do you know all this?” Monroe asked.

“I wasn't stupid enough to come here unprepared. I learned all that I could about Prince Sean and everyone in his little circle. It's not difficult to get information; his family have spies everywhere.”

* * *

“Just tell me what is going on,” Sean said, refusing to lie in bed. He'd woken up frightened and though he didn't know why he'd felt afraid he was in no hurry to go back to sleep and find out. Instead he had Nick sitting on one side of him and his mother on the other side, and he was sure every pillow he owned was on the table so that his leg could be propped up without worrying about any jostling.

Nick and Elizabeth looked at each other in silence for a few moments before Elizabeth finally spoke. “Monroe and Rosalee have been taken.”

“God, no.” Sean felt his chest tighten when he thought about what the recorded message in his car had promised.

_The Fuchsbau will be next. She and the Blutbad can watch each other suffer at our hands. You know how good we are at the art of torture. Eventually they'll offer us whatever information they might have to try and spare one another further pain. Regrettably, they have nothing useful to offer._

“We know who has them, and we're going to find them,” Nick said, holding onto Sean's hand as though he was afraid Sean might be taken if he dared to blink.

“Who is it?”

“Christian's cousin.”

“Ava's husband Christian?”

“Apparently your family has offered to give help him get on the throne.”

“I should have been doing something, trying to find who my family was working with here instead of lying in that hospital bed.”

“And what would you have accomplished if instead you had refused the surgery and gone hobbling around Portland in a wheelchair?”

“I don't know,” Sean admitted. “There has to be something I could have done.”

“There isn't. You told us about the message that was left but there was nothing that any of us could have done, including you. You can't fight them if you're injured so please, let us continue to do the fighting so you can continue to heal.”

“He's right. This move may have been an attempt to draw you out when you're vulnerable. Don't be an easy target,” Elizabeth told her son. “Where are the hat and the book that I left with you?”

“I left them with Rosalee. We were hoping there might be some way of saving Juliet.”

“I'm going to need to get them back. Nick, do you know where they might be now?”

“The basement of the spice shop is the most likely place.”

“Do you have a key?”

“Yeah, I do. What survived from my aunt's trailer is stored down there.”

“Good. From what I saw on the surveillance tapes at the hospital, Jacob is working with a very powerful Hexenbiest or Zauberbiest. I intend to level the playing field.”

“Now?” Sean asked, shocked when she stood up.

“The sooner I get started, the sooner we get your friends back.”

“I should go. I know my way around down there and I'm pretty sure I've seen the book recently. The hat will be close by.”

“They want you too. There isn't anyone that they don't want. I should have kept the hat and the book here but I--”

“Enough with the self-recrimination. You did what you thought was best. I am the most capable of defending myself so I will go to the spice shop,” Elizabeth said.

“There's something you aren't telling me.”

“Yes, there is, and there will be plenty of time for me to tell you when I get back.”

“Please be careful.”

“I always am.”

“So do you have anything you want to tell me?” Sean asked when his mother was gone.

“Adalind and the baby are upstairs.”

“Good. Have you picked out a name yet?”

“We haven't discussed it.”

“You can't keep calling him 'the baby'.”

“I know, but it isn't just up to me. Adalind is his mother.”

“I'm glad that they're both all right.”

“When you first woke up, you seemed...agitated. You want to talk about it?”

“I'd just like to enjoy a few moments of peace with you if that's all right.”

Nick smiled. “Of course it's all right.”

Soon Sean felt the comforting weight of Nick cuddled against him as Sean wrapped an arm around his Grimm. He knew there was something else Nick and his mother hadn't told him, but he was grateful to pretend for these precious moments that everything would be all right.


	15. Chapter 15

The key was barely in the lock when Elizabeth sensed the Zauberbiest already inside the spice shop. At least the element of surprise would be on her side; whoever he was, he had to be powerful based on what she could feel. It was a good thing Nick had a key; using a skeleton key would have let him feel her power.

Slowly she opened the door, resisting the urge to woge in anticipation. He must have sensed her anyway because as soon as the door was opened she was pulled inside by an unseen force. The door shut and locked itself. It was too dark to see anything beyond the basic outlines of shelves and counters.

"What have we here?” a voice hissed. “The bastard Prince sent his mommy to get his things!”

“Jerome,” she whispered. It was all she could manage as she felt the invisible force tighten around her.

“I should kill you but your death has already been planned. It will be slow and painful and likely to take months, but the family has been looking forward to having you back at the castle. First I need something from you, though. Do try to hold still; it will be easier on you that way.”

“How long of a leash is Jacob keeping you on?” She heard a growl and her air was nearly cut off.

“It’s a little late for small talk, dear Elizabeth. Perhaps after the business at hand has been taken care of, we can catch up. Right now I have work to do so let’s get this over with.”

 

* * *

 

“I know you’re worried,” Nick said when Sean continued to sit in silence.

“I just have a bad feeling. She’s been gone too long.”

“I’ll call her and see if I can get a status update.”

“Thanks.” He watched as Nick stood up to retrieve the cell phone. His stomach felt as though he had swallowed a stone, and usually that feeling meant that something was very wrong.

“She’s not answering. I’m going to head over to the spice shop with Hank.”

“Not without me you aren’t.”

“You’re hardly in a condition to--”

The front door opened and all talk ceased as Elizabeth walked in.

“Please, don’t stop arguing on my behalf,” she said with a grin.

“I was worried about you,” Sean confessed. “Were you able to find it?”

“No, I wasn’t. Someone else had already been there and trashed the place. There’s hardly anything left except broken glass and debris.”

“The stuff from the trailer is gone?” Nick asked, eyes wide.

“So it would seem. I really am sorry.”

“There has to be another way to find Monroe and Rosalee,” Nick said.

“First we need to ensure that this place is safe. I found the ingredients to create a protection potion. It won’t stop a bullet or a blade but it will shield you against any spells or potions. I’ll fix it in the kitchen and then everyone will need to drink some.”

“Why did you never mention this before?” Sean asked

“It only lasts for a day and a second dose is fatal. It’s a measure of last resort, used only when you sure to be facing a Hexenbiest or Zauberbiest coming to kill you.”

 

* * *

 

Adalind had heard Elizabeth’s voice carry up the stairs and was considering joining Nick and Sean when a blonde girl suddenly appeared before her.

“You have to leave.”

“Diana?” She took a startled step backwards and blinked in disbelief. “Diana?” she asked a second time, her voice calmer.

“Please, you have to go. That isn’t my grandmother and you will be killed if you don’t go. No one will know what happened here if you don’t leave. You can’t help them, I’m sorry. You can only save yourself and your son, and then find a way to help them."

“How? I don’t have my powers back yet.”

“You must go! Find Ava, she can help you. You must hurry.”

“All right, just let me grab some th--” Adalind had turned to grab the bag of baby things from the hospital and found that Diana was gone. “Ok, just have to find a safe way out of here,” she said to herself. The bedroom was on the second floor and though there was a balcony, there was no fire escape or even rope ladder that she could see.

She’d never reach the front door unnoticed, nor the patio door. There was a side door that she could probably get out if she could make it down the stairs without anyone seeing her. Picking up the infant and the bag she had hastily packed along with her mobile, she crept down the stairs. She caught a glimpse of Sean and Nick on the sofa, and Elizabeth was in the kitchen mixing up some potion – only it wasn’t Elizabeth according to the vision she’d seen of Diana. This was all so insane that she considered going over to Sean and telling him what had happened.

And what could Sean do? He wasn’t exactly in peak condition to be fighting an enemy. It was unlikely he or Nick would even believe her. She and her son were better off on their own. Fortunately her son chose to remain silent as she crept with him and the hospital bag down the stairs. ‘Elizabeth’ called Sean and Nick into the kitchen and she was able to slip out the side door.

“I’m calling you Kelly,” she whispered as she held the boy close against her chest to protect him from the chill Portland air. Her only thought was to get as far away from Sean’s house as she could and hope that she was doing the right thing.

 

* * *

 

“The potion requires a few drops of your blood to work,” Elizabeth said, handing them each a juice glass and a needle. “Just prick the end of the your finger.”

“What about everyone else?” Sean asked.

“Don’t worry, everyone that needs it will get the potion.”

“I’ll ask Hank to get Wu over here so they can take it, and then I’ll get Adalind and the baby so--”

“First you need to take the potion. Prick your finger, add your blood, and once you’ve taken it you can worry about everyone else.”

“Are you sure about this? You never said anything about a potion that could protect us from another Hexenbiest before.”

“We never needed to be protected from another Hexenbiest before and the ingredients needed are very hard to come by. I was just lucky that I found them in the spice shop.”

“All right, here goes.” Nick pushed the needle into the tip of his finger just enough that a drop of blood welled up. Gingerly he squeezed his finger until two drops of his blood fell into the glass in front of him. “So now I just drink it?”

“Yes, now you just drink it.”

“Aren’t you going to take it, Mother?”

“If I take it, my powers will be bound. Now stop stalling.”

“Mother knows best right?” Nick said as he downed the contents of his glass. “So that’s it?”

“That’s it. Come on, Sean, it’s your turn.”

Sean managed to prick his finger, get the required blood and drink the potion, all the while watching to see if anything strange was going to happen to Nick.

“Now I want the both of you to go in the guest bedroom, close and lock the door, and don’t make a sound until I tell you too.”

Wordlessly they rose and walked to the bedroom, eyes confused as they made their way into the room as she had ordered. Sean’s crutches were still leaning against the table so she quickly put them into the coat closet before going outside to get Hank. Soon they were joined by Hank and Wu, standing in the bedroom, not making a sound while Elizabeth stood in front of them with her phone.

“I’ve got the Grimm and his bastard Prince, along with two of their friends. I’ll bring them to you and then go to the hospital to take care of Adalind and the infant.”

 

* * *

 

Monroe and Rosalee were sitting in chairs at a small table. Metal cuffs on their ankles were chained to the floor and an electronic collar was around their necks, but their hands were free and they were eating a kale salad when Jacob returned to them.

“Some of your friends will be joining you soon,” he announced.

“Why not just kill us?” Monroe asked, putting his fork down.

“Because the Royals want you alive. They won’t give me what I want if all I can deliver to them is your corpses.” He moved closer to touch Rosalee’s cheek. She turned her face away and Monroe woged and snarled, then screamed in pain as his woge faded. “I told you those collars were effective. You’d do well to keep your inner beast contained.”

Jacob left them again and Rosalee reached her hand out towards her husband. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I think so. Once I let the woge fade, it stopped shocking me.”

“So someone developed technology that can tell when Wesen woge. That’s not good.”

“Not for us, though I can think of some Wesen that I wouldn’t mind putting this thing on.”

“I just want us to get it off.” Her hand went to the clasp that was padlocked. “When we get out of here I’m going to put this damned thing on Jacob.”

“I doubt he’s Wesen so it wouldn’t really serve much of a purpose.”

“I know. I still want to put it on him.”

 

* * *

 

Adalind wasn’t sure how long she had been walking before she felt like it was safe to stop. An all night diner seemed like a good place to duck in and consider her options over some hot coffee. She was just glad that Kelly had stayed asleep though her arms were tired and she regretted that she hadn’t been able to get the car seat on her way out.

The waitress put her in a quiet corner where they couldn’t hear the loud noises from the kitchen. Then she began going through the things that they had brought home from the hospital. Fortunately one of the items in the bag was a slip of paper with Dr. Eldensen’s mobile number. _Diana said I should find Ava. Calling her mother is my best chance of doing that._

“ _Hello?”_

“Hi, um, Dr. Eldensen? It’s Adalind.”

“ _Adalind, is something wrong?”_

“I know that this is a bad time but...something very bad is going on at Sean’s house and I had to take Kelly and run. Can I meet you? I know this doesn’t make any sense but I really need to find Ava.”

“ _Is Kelly your son?”_

“Yes, that’s what I decided to name him. I really need to see you. I need your help. Sean and Nick need your help.”

“ _Of course. Just tell me where you are and I’ll come there.”_


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not so much of a chapter as a tease for what is to come and an update on why I haven't been updating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't updated in like...a long time. A really long time. Geez, I suck. But I want you to know that I have NOT abandoned this story. In fact I'm working on _Backlash_ , _Return of the Djinni_ and also new installments of the _100 Challenges_. When will those finally be posted? Unfortunately I can't say for certain. I've started working on a new project writing some original short stories which I will be reading on my YouTube channel. I'm also thinking about reading fanfictions that other writers have done. Not just bad ones but also good ones because there are some amazing writers here on AO3 that deserve more recognition than they have received. I won't shy away from mocking the really bad ones either. Once I get things all situated and I can finally buy a quality microphone, I'll be cranking those out and I really hope you'll join me on YouTube. If not, that's ok too as I'll still be posting my stories here.

Teaser for the next chapter...

* * *

 

“You and the baby will be safe here,” Marissa said as she led Adalind into the house.

“Thank you for coming to get me. I didn’t know who else to call and Diana said that I had to find Ava.”

“You saw your daughter?”

Adalind nodded. “She seems able to project herself to wherever and whoever she wants. Whether she’s doing it on her own or to please someone else, I don’t know.”

“Do you think that she’s in Portland?”

“I don’t know. I want to believe that she’s close by but...”

“I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through, not knowing where she is or who she is with. I hope that we can help you find her.”

“I suspect she’ll find us if she can, or at least lead us to her.”

Adalind took the opportunity to feed Kelly while Marissa left to find Ava and Christian.

“We’re going to make sure your Daddy is safe,” she said as she opened her blouse and let Kelly feed. “I know that one day when you’re older, whether I want you to or not you’re going to hear about everything that has happened in the past between me and your father and your sister’s father and all of your Daddy’s friends. I just hope you believe me when I say that I’m not that person anymore. I don’t want any harm to come to any of them, least of all your father.”

The baby continued to suckle and Adalind relaxed a bit more. She and Kelly were safe, for the moment at least. She trusted Marissa but knew nothing of Ava or Christian or the rest of the royal family whose hands she was putting her life in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be deleted once the entire chapter is finished and ready for posting. I just don't want anyone to think that I've abandoned these writings, hence the little spoiler ;)


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